Motorcycle rally calls for saving Mhadei, tiger

Vasco: Citizens under the banner of ‘Save Mhadei — Save Tiger’ embarked on a motorcycle rally from Chicalim to village panchayats across the Mormugao taluka on Friday to urge them to adopt a resolution supporting the fight to save the river, which is known as Goa’s lifeline.
Chicalim parish priest Fr Bolmax Pereira, who flagged off the rally, stressed on the need for creating awareness among the people about protecting the Mhadei river.
“Let this not be a campaign to save ourselves. This is a campaign to save Goa, to save our forests and to save Mhadei. The railway double-tracking project should therefore be stopped,” he said.
Criticising chief minister Pramod Sawant for his statements on the Mhadei water diversion issue, Pereira said, “Whatever propaganda is being spread by the state BJP government about saving the Mhadei’s water is a lie.
“People have had immense expectations of the present BJP dispensation in Goa, but the government has miserably failed to protect the interests of the people and the environment. The government is responsible for the diversion of the Mhadei’s waters to Karnataka. We are concerned about the future of Goa and Goans and will fight tooth and nail to protect the environment from further disaster,” he added.