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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, July 13: The state government8217;s decision to allot 700 acres of marshy land at the Gorai-Manori islands to the Esselworld amusement park and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation MTDC for tourism purposes has been opposed by the local farming and fishing communities.
Addressing a press conference, Lourdes D8217;Souza of the Gorai Bachao Sangharsh Samiti said the proposal violates the Coastal Regulation Zone CRZ and is earmarked as a No development Zone as per a 1983 government resolution GR. The proprietor of Esselworld, Subash Chandra Goel, has reneged on his promises on building a road, hospital and school at Gorai and instead, has filled up the marshy land and chopped mangroves, destroying the ecosystem, alleged D8217;Souza. The amusement park, which had recently introduced a quot;waterworldquot; park as well, utilises around 80 water tankers every day from the village borewells, due to which water levels have been on the decline, added D8217;Souza.
Damodar Tandel, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Machimar Kruti Samiti, said the government has never taken the villagers into confidence over any of the projects. quot;If things continue in this fashion, we are also ready to sacrifice ourselves to save what is left of villagers8217; land,quot; he declared.
The island villages of Gorai, Kulvem and Manori do not even have basic infrastructure like water connections, schools, hospitals, electricity and a post office in place, pointed out Rinny D8217;Mello, a resident.The residents, egged on by an incident last week when they forced a local Member of the Legislative Assembly to postpone a foundation stone laying ceremony for a project, have now decided to stage a morcha to the collector8217;s office at Borivli on July 15 to register their protest.
