Page 11 - The Lotus (Nov-Dec 2020)

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Save Mollem Campaign

-Tarini D’Souza

Earlier this year, the thousands of other explaining why this

Ministry of wildlife species. compensatory
Environment, Forest afforestation won’t
and Climate Change The Western Ghats really work.

(MoEFCC) cleared the themselves are
following projects to recognised as being This has been a
pass through Mollem one of the eight trending topic as Goan

National Park and ‘hottest hotspots’ of youth have harnessed
Bhagwan Mahaveer biological diversity in social media during the
the entire world. The lockdown to share their
Wildlife Sanctuary.
lives of 21 plant memories of Mollem.
Project #1 – National species, 235 bird A lot of us have
Highway species, 219 butterfly beautiful childhood
species, 80 odonate memories of the lush
To expand the existing species, 70 mammal green forest and its
road into a four-lane species, 75 ant species, cool waters, and this is
highway, through the 45 reptile species, 44 precisely what the

forest, further fish species, 43 fungi Mollem Memory
segmenting the habitat species, 27 amphibian Project seeks to
and requiring the species, 24 orchid highlight.

felling of 12,097 trees.
species, and 18 species
Project #2 – of lichens hang in the At least 100 teachers
from across Goa, in a
Transmission Line balance.
letter to the National
A 3.15 km Development projects Board for Wildlife
transmission line to be like those proposed (NBW), asked, “As

built for which 4,146 will cause forest teachers from Goa, we
trees will have to be fragmentation, or the ask how we are
cut down. breaking of large expected to teach
forested areas into young people about
Project #3 – Railway progressively smaller their civic duty to
Line
pieces till the forest protect Goa’s

The doubling of an itself will not exist environment and its
already existing line anymore. A rich natural heritage,
will have 20,758 trees compensatory while it is stolen from

cleared. afforestation plan has them?” Several other
been proposed that groups including
The estimated loss of makes bizarre architects, students,
forest cover is about suggestions such as and business owners

250 hectares, razing planting bougainvillea have sent letters to
59,000 trees to the along highways instead authorities too.

ground and cutting of canopy cover to Frustratingly, the
through tiger habitats counter the effects. MoEFCC has said that
as well as that of Here is a short video they have received no

Continued…

Photograph: Meera Patel