Ramponkars threaten rasta roko if river nationalization MOU signed

Goenchea Raponkaracho Ekvott on Monday threatened to come out on roads if the government went ahead and signed the memorandum of understanding on nationalization of Mandovi, Zuari, Mapusa, Chapora, Sal and Cumbharjua rivers.

 The MOU is to be signed between Inland Waterways Authority of India, the state government and Mormugao Port Trust. 

GRE General Secretary Olencio Simoes said that the tripartite agreement was unconstitutional as Goan fishermen are natural stake holders of the Goan rivers.

GRE says that though they have been carrying out fishing activities for several centuries the government has not taken the fishermen nor the fishermen s union into confidence.

GRE president Angelo Rodrigues said that the present navigational channel of the rivers have natural depth and therefore was suitable for navigation and were never dredged.

But today the government is planning to do capital dredging so that they can bring in large capacity vessels to transport cargo mainly Coal.