Revoke plan to dredge rivers for ore transit: GFP

Panaji: GFP on Sunday criticised state govt for “deceptively” agreeing to the Inland Waterways Authority of India’s proposal to dredge Chapora, Mandovi, and Zuari rivers, and the Cumbarjua canal.Vijai Sardesai, the GFP president, said the rivers are being dredged to facilitate the transportation of iron ore and coal.“Our party strongly opposes this detailed okayproject report (DPR). Govt is deceptively trying to show that this is a move to help waterways,” Sardesai said. “Our demand is that govt, if it is aware of this, must immediately revoke this DPR. This plan has nothing to do with public transportation. This is not development; this is deception.”He said dredging would require the rivers, which are classified as national waterways, to be dredged up to 10 metres, which would destroy the local ecology.“This will require 6.5 million cubic metres of dredging, which will destroy the river ecology permanently. This DPR is only for coal and iron ore transportation, which is currently taking place via rail and road,” Sardesai said. “There is no structured plan for passenger transportation. Goa’s public has been misled in the name of development.”Sardesai said once Goa’s rivers are dredged, bigger barges from other states will be able to operate due to the deeper channel, and this will mean that local barges, which are smaller, will lose business.