Traditional fishermen on Monday opposed desilting of the Sal until the government conducts a physical site inspection, along with them. Assuring villagers that the work would be undertaken only after taking the fishermen into confidence, ports minister Michael Lobo said that officials of the Captain of Ports have measured the depth of the river and an environmental study has also been done. “We will show the traditional fisherman how the dredging will be done,” he said. It is up to the traditional fisherman to take a decision, Lobo said, suggesting that they “make a representation before the National Green Tribunal (NGT)” if they don’t want the dredging to be done. Statting that the depth of the Sal has reduced at various stretches and the government wants to revive the river for fishing activities, Lobo said. “Dredging is not being done for coal handling, passenger boats, etc.”
The government has only lived up to its assurance given in the House that the Sal would be desilted, he said. “This is the second phase. We have been given time till March to desilt the river and we have filed an affidavit to complete it,” Lobo said at a meeting with fisheries minister and Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues and the traditional fishermen.
Lobo told reporters that three years back, a six-kilometre stretch of the river, from Nuvem to Navelim, had been desilted. “This is the second phase in which another six-kilometre stretch would be cleaned up at the cost of around Rs 8 crore. In the third phase, another six kilometre stretch will be taken up,” he said. Meanwhile, Rodrigues, in whose constituency most part of the Sal flows, batted for traditional fishermen being taken into confidence on the desilting work. Calling it a long-pending issue, he said, “We also want the river to be clean, but as fisheries minister, my one apprehension is that the work should not affect marine life there.” “We have told both ministers to provide us with a layout pointing out fishing zones and orchards, and what they are planning to do. We will discuss the issue back at site,” one fisherman said.