GSPCB to give nod for marinas after studying river carrying

Goa State Pollution Control Board will give a nod to the proposed project to set up marinas only after the carrying capacity of rivers is studied, its chairman Jose Manual Noronha said today.
"Until and unless we study about the carrying capacity of the rivers, we will not be in favour of granting any permission for marinas. It is not advisable to allow such projects to be set up on piecemeal basis," Noronha told PTI.
The GSPCB chairman's statement comes a day after local fishermen and members of Legislative Assembly - Alina Saldanha and Vishnu Surya Wagh expressed their resentment against the proposed marinas.

State Investment Promotion Board has cleared proposal for marina at Nauxi village while Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) said they will come out with similar project at Sancoale.
Noronha said they have rejected applications in the past for setting up marinas at Sancole on the grounds that it is hazardous for bio-diversity of the area.
Under the proposed marina project small crafts and ships will be anchored alonside the river bed.

"We had received similar proposals in past but there were certain apprehensions about the bio-diversity of the particular area," he added.
The board has already asked state environment ministry to conduct study on the carrying capacity of rivers, which will determine the possibility of setting up such projects.

The proposal for marinas has been gathering resistance from local fishermen who fear loss to their livelihood.
Traditionally, fishermen have been harvesting fish varieties, including oysters.
Fishermen said they had exclusive rights to the seabed and the marinas will damage their business.
"Our opposition is not for the sake of opposing. We have a valid reason for it. Once you set up marinas at Sancoale and Nauxi, the entire river bed would be polluted. The fishing activity will cease to exist," Agnelo Rodrigues, a leader of fishermen community, said.
Rodrigues claimed that there are at least 1,000 fishermen who earn their living from the river bed.