AAP MLA Cruz Silva stands with Diocesan Commission for Ecology, opposes SWR double-tracking

Goa Khabar : AAP Velim MLA Cruz Silva has extended full support to the Diocesan Commission for Ecology, Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, in its strong opposition to the South Western Railway (SWR) double-tracking project. In a statement issued on Monday, Silva said the project is unjustified, destructive, and goes against both public sentiment and judicial directives.

He pointed out that the Supreme Court of India, in its May 9, 2022 judgment, had already set aside the wildlife clearance for the project, calling it damaging to Goa’s environment. “This judgment must be respected not only as a legal directive but also as a moral compass guiding our development choices,” Silva said.

The MLA said the concerns raised by the Commission under Rev. Dr. Bolmax Pereira echo the lived realities of Goans. He highlighted that the project would cause irreversible damage to the Western Ghats, threaten ancestral homes, heritage structures, and religious sites, increase coal transportation and air pollution, and forcibly acquire land from farmers and communidades, thereby endangering livelihoods.

“As a public representative, I stand with the people and the Church in asserting that development must never come at the cost of our environment, heritage, or dignity. Goa’s future lies in sustainable and inclusive growth, not in projects that bulldoze public sentiment,” Silva said.

He further urged the government to halt all activities related to the double-tracking project and initiate a transparent, participatory reassessment of its necessity and impact.