Maharashtra, Goa border villages oppose proposed Aronda jetty

Rajendra P Kerkar
KERI: Villagers of Aronda, Maharashtra, situated on the border of Goa, have opposed a proposed mini-port as it’s completion and operation will pose a serious threat to the fragile ecology and livelihood of fishermen and agriculturists in the area.
Villagers from Paliem-Kiranpani and Querim-Tiracol in Goa, have also expressed their opposition to the jetty even as work has been undertaken near the mouth of the Tiracol river, which flows into the Arabian sea.
Aronda sarpanch Atmaram Acharekar, speaking to TOI, said, “We don’t want this polluting project in our pristine village. We have unanimously taken a decision to oppose the establishment of a jetty or mini-port. We will welcome an eco-tourism project.”
S R Vengurlekar, official, Maharashtra maritime board, Vengurla, said, “Work of the jetty in Aronda has not been completed so far, as some people have approached the court and recently violence broke out there too.”
The mini-port is being built at Aronda jetty by a Mumbai-based company, White Orchid Estate Private Limited, to enable loading of iron ore, coal, bauxite, steel/scrap, liquid cargo, sugar and any other commodities. The villagers have expressed fear that deepening and widening of the river to facilitate barge movement might increase the volume of water in the river, endangering villages on the banks.
When contacted, officials at White Orchid Pvt Ltd refused to provide any information about the ongoing work.
Aronda village panchayat has three revenue villages including Aronda with 529 hectares, Bhatpavani with 386 hectares, and Savarjaa with 58 hectares of area. There are 20 hamlets with a total population of 3,917. Aronda is famous for cashew nuts, mangoes, jackfruit, kokum, and has many old temples of Sateri, Bhadrakali and Ravalnath. The original name of Aronda is Aravande, or Aravind, which means lotus.
Manohar Arondekar of Deulwada, says, “The majority of villagers rely on agriculture as well as traditional fishing for their livelihood. Our village is being blessed by rich and varied facets of biodiversity. Establishment of a mini-port will threaten the environment and ecology, causing serious problems to our health and environment.”
Vidyadhar Naik of Bhatpavani said, “Presently, the agricultural yield is enough to support our basic needs. We reap two crops in a year and are living a happy life.”
Another resident, Sanjay Kochrekar, said “The Tiracol river and creek are our source of livelihood. We catch fish like Shevate, Palu, Dhodkare, Muddoshe and varieties of shell fish, crabs, prawns. It is a treasure trove for fishery.”
Gokuldas Mote, president, Aronda fishermen society, said, “Removing the rocks from the shoreline for the barges will pose an ecological threat. These rocks break the waves and keep the volume of water hitting the shore in check.” The villagers complain that large areas of mangroves have been cleared, disturbing the sensitive ecosystem that also thrives in the region.
Rajendra P Kerkar