MARGAO: Fearing destruction of Western Ghats by some vested interests for private profits, Concerned Citizens of Loliem-Canacona (CCL) in a memorandum to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has requested for retaining Loliem village within the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) of the Western Ghats.
Loliem residents have been continuously requesting the Ministry in this regard. They had first submitted a memorandum in April 2017 with nearly 300 signatories, while recent one has been submitted in September this year.
The CCL expressed shock over the Goa Government’s request to reduce the number of villages within the ESA for the State.
The draft notification proposes to declare 99 villages as ESAs in the three talukas of the Western Ghats.
Denis Fernandes, a resident said the concerned villagers of Loliem strongly defend the inclusion of their village in the list of villages and map of ESAs.
“We are shocked to see that some vested interests who wish to destroy our Western Ghats for private profits and the Government of Goa requesting you to reduce the number of villages within the ESA for Goa. The need is to include not just the villages included presently, but also numerous talukas and villages that have been wrongly left out,” he said.
He said they have submitted their support for including Loliem and other villages included presently, and have requested to include other villages that are wrongly left out.
The memorandum states the village of Loliem has an amazing biodiversity matching any other ESA of the Central and Northern Western Ghats. This headland, where rich forested slopes and springs of the extraordinary plateaus of village abound, connects the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary to the Arabian Sea, making the entire region a critical habitat for various species of flora and fauna and an essential part of the Western Ghats of Goa.
It further states that the headland of Loliem village is also an integral part of the unrivalled tiger habitat comprising of the Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve of Karnataka, four wildlife sanctuaries and one National Park of Goa and adjoining areas of Maharashtra, spread over 2,500 sq kms of pristine forests that are among the largest patches of dense, pristine forests of the Western Ghats and are super-critical for the survival of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Goa and Northern Karnataka.
The entire biodiversity of birds, reptiles, amphibians and other fauna of Western Ghats of Goa are found in our village of Loliem, the memorandum added.
“Loliem village is endowed with the Galgibag and Mashem River valleys and wetlands, which have rich biodiversity of the riverine ecosystems of the Western Ghats. Loliem village is inhabited by indigenous tribes and others who have lived here for thousands of years,” the residents claimed.
At the same time, the villagers fear the destruction of their village from the real estate, and added that this notification must be finalised as soon as possible. The entire Canacona taluka is a part of the Ecologically Sensitive Areas of the Western Ghats.
Loliem villagers have also given several suggestions and have requested the authorities to include additional restrictions, as they feel that without which the notification will not be able to protect the ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats.