{"id":103268,"date":"2025-06-05T22:39:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T17:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=103268"},"modified":"2025-06-05T22:39:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T17:09:40","slug":"world-environment-day-aap-demands-urgent-action-to-protect-goas-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=103268","title":{"rendered":"World Environment Day : AAP demands urgent action to protect Goa\u2019s environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in Goa raised serious concerns over the environmental degradation taking place across the state. From river pollution and destruction of sand dunes to threats to traditional agriculture and unchecked development, AAP leaders demanded immediate and comprehensive action from the government to preserve Goa\u2019s natural heritage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sal River in Distress: Immediate Action Needed<\/strong><\/p>\n

AAP Velim MLA Engg. Cruz Silva expressed grave concern over the deteriorating condition of the Sal River, once a vital waterway for South Goa. He said that untreated sewage and solid waste from nearby urban areas and industries are severely polluting the river, leading to declining water quality and death of aquatic life.<\/p>\n

> \u201cThe existence of traditional fishing, shellfish, and aquatic species is at risk. Uncontrolled weed growth and encroachments along the riverbank are disrupting its natural flow and reducing its self-purification capacity,\u201d said MLA Cruz Silva.<\/p>\n

He warned that the environmental decline is directly threatening the livelihoods of local fishermen and traditional agriculture, and called for a comprehensive action plan to save the Sal River and its surrounding ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Coastal Creeks Need Protection : MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas<\/strong><\/p>\n

AAP Benaulim MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas emphasized the urgent need for the Water Resources Department (WRD) to notify all 23 coastal creeks under the Irrigation Act and implement a long-term eco-restoration plan.<\/p>\n

> \u201cThese 20,000-year-old natural drainage lifelines are essential to prevent sea-level rise and flooding. We must protect their catchment areas, ensure natural tidal flushing, and restore oxygenation levels with local community involvement,\u201d said Capt. Viegas.<\/p>\n

He also stressed the importance of conserving sand dunes, describing them as natural barriers that protect the coast from erosion and storms. While praising the dune restoration work in Colva and Cansaulim, he criticized the allocation of coastal land for luxury hotel constructions:<\/p>\n

> \u201cThose who once permitted destruction of dunes for hotels are now pretending to raise their voices to protect them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Khazan Lands Under Threat : Prof. Ramrao Wagh<\/strong><\/p>\n

Environmental activist and academic Prof. Ramrao Wagh raised an alarm over the destruction of Goa\u2019s Khazan agricultural lands, a traditional and sustainable farming system that dates back centuries.<\/p>\n

> \u201cThis engineering marvel is under constant threat from illegal land conversions, so-called development, and fish mafia activities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Prof. Wagh highlighted that more than 6,000 hectares of Khazan lands have already been converted, leading to widespread damage. He also pointed out recent instances of toxic waste dumping in Agassaim, which has endangered aquatic life and polluted rivers like Zuari.<\/p>\n

Selfish Development is Destroying Goa : Ceceill Rodrigues<\/strong><\/p>\n

AAP Taleigao leader Ceceill Rodrigues delivered a powerful message on the dangers of unregulated development.<\/p>\n

> \u201cField filling, landfilling, and hill-cutting are rampant in Taleigao and across Goa. This destruction is selfish and short-sighted,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She highlighted the environmental consequences:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flooding due to loss of water absorption areas<\/p>\n

Landslides caused by destruction of hills<\/p>\n

Water stagnation and rise in waterborne diseases<\/p>\n

Rodrigues called for a shift to sustainable development that respects agricultural land, natural habitats, and the well-being of citizens.<\/p>\n

A Call for Unity and Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

On World Environment Day, AAP Goa leaders urged the government and citizens to:<\/p>\n

Take immediate action to protect rivers, dunes, and natural habitats<\/p>\n

Hold authorities accountable for environmental damage<\/p>\n

Adopt sustainable practices in everyday life<\/p>\n

Safeguard Goa\u2019s natural heritage for future generations<\/p>\n

> \u201cLet us join hands to protect our environment and ensure a sustainable future for all,\u201d concluded Ceceill Rodrigues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in Goa raised serious concerns over the environmental degradation taking place across the state. From river pollution and destruction of sand dunes to threats to traditional agriculture and unchecked development, AAP leaders demanded immediate and comprehensive action from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25169,"featured_media":103269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,155],"tags":[3794],"class_list":["post-103268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6","category-155","tag-featured"],"read":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=103268"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103270,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103268\/revisions\/103270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/103269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=103268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=103268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=103268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}