Environmentalists threw their hands up in horror imagining the widespread destruction that could ensue if the ... Read More

Panaji: Environmentalists threw their hands up in horror imagining the widespread destruction that could ensue if the outgoing BJP government continued with its agenda of destruction in the name of development. Stakeholders were left searching for the rationale behind the Union ministry of road transport and highways’ decision to upgrade 21 state highways and major district roads (MDR) to the status of national highways.

A circular issued by the ministry’s director for general administration, Maya Prakash, on January 2, includes 21 routes in Goa out of the 85 major roads in the country that will be developed into new national highways.

“The minister for road transport and highways has approved in principle declaration of these roads as new national highways,” the official circular addressed to the principle secretary for public works department (PWD) says.

The decision has come as a surprise to environment activists, especially since some of the stretches declared as new highways fall in the lap of the Sahyadris.

“The government says that it is getting funds, but just because you are getting funds do you build roads? Why should we use the UP, Bihar policies in tiny Goa. In the regional plan agitation people had said that they don’t want big roads,” South Goa-based activist Siddharth Karapurkar said.

Many conservationists saw the Union ministry’s circular as a move to enforce the Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh development model in Goa, which has far better amenities than most Indian states.

“I believe in Goa we can't have national highways going through villages. There will be no Goa left. In fact, even NH17 is against the principles of design,” general secretary of the Federation of Rainbow Warriors and environmentalist, Abhijit Prabhudessai said.

Several environmentalists rued the lack of political and social will to challenge and counter the BJP government’s development agenda. Activists lamented that citizens were valued only for the votes they cast and not for their opinions on development.

