Former deputy chief minister, Dayanand Narvekar on Wednesday said that Mopa international airport will not only affect water requirement in Pernem but it will also have an impact on Bardez taluka and called upon people of Goa to unite to save Mhadei river diversion.
“Goa has been sold. Mopa international airport is coming up in 80 lakh sq meter of land. Nowhere in India so much land has been demarcated for airports. Five star resorts, hangars and what not is coming up there. This will have an impact on water requirement not only in Pernem but also in Bardez,” Narvekar warned.
The former deputy CM was speaking at the ‘Save Tiger, Save Mhadei’ motorcycle rally which was flagged off from Shree Dev Bodgeshwar Devasthan, Mapusa.
Green activist Rajendra Kerkar, social worker, Rajan Ghate, councilor Shashank Narvekar, former AAP convenor Rahul Mhambre and others were also present.
Continuing, Narvekar informed that the demand for diversion of Mhadei river water existed even when he was the Irrigation Minister some 30 years ago but the then Congress government refused to fall for the trap.
“The then Karnataka government demanded diversion of Mhadei river water when Pratapsingh Rane was the chief minister and I was the irrigation minister under him. We refused to cow down,” he disclosed.
He appealed to Goans to unite under one umbrella and come out in support of the Mhadei river so that the State could be saved from disaster in the near future.
“If Mhadei goes, water goes. We need to come together and fight it out. Nowadays very few people come out to fight for a cause,” he lamented.
Former AAP convenor, Rahul Mhambre, Mapusa councilor, Shashank Narvekar and Rajan Ghate also spoke
The ‘Save Tiger, Save Mhadei’ motorcycle rally will move through different panchayat areas in Bardez and handover an appeal demanding Mahadayi Tiger Reserve to all 33 village panchayats and one municipality in the taluka.
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