log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2023 GOA Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) 13 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO.210 MMC in a fix over recovery of Rs 8 lakh to agency for cleaning footpaths 2 GOA Mishaps continue at Karmalghat as truck goes off road 5 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Hypothyroidism and menopause have a connection 9 SPORTS Kyrgios pulls out of Australian Open with injury 13 GOANS RISE IN BATTLE TO SAVE MHADEI  THOUSANDS ATTEND MEETING AT SANQUELIM  RESOLUTION PASSED DEMANDING WITHDRAWAL OF APPROVAL GIVEN TO DPR OF KARNATAKA    GOVT URGED TO COME OUT PUBLICLY IN SUPPORT OF THE MOVEMENT THE GOAN I NETWORK Leopard caught in trap at Quepem, dies PANAJI: In yet another incident, a leopard died after being caught in snare meant for other animals. The decomposed carcass was found trapped in snare set for wild boars at Dabem, Padi in Quepem. A similar incident was reported from Kopardem, Sattari in the last week of December 2022. Dense fog disrupts ferry services PANAJI: Dense fog disrupted normal life of most islands dependent on ferry services on Monday morning. Commuters especially office goers and students using the busy Chorao ferry route were the worst affected. Ferry services on other routes were also affected. Cops bust interstate gang of thieves PANAJI: The Panaji police busted an interstate gang of thieves who stole jewelry worth Rs 4.53 lakh approx from a store where they posed as prospective buyers. The accused, all of whom have a string of cases registered against them in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, were traced within hours of registering a theft complaint. Vistara begins ops at Mopa airport PANAJI: Vistara Airlines has announced the addition of Manohar International Airport, Mopa to its domestic network with daily connectivity to and from Bengaluru along with 6 weekly flights to and from Mumbai, starting February 14. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: TIDES 30 C 19C 75% Low: 12.31 ---High: 04.59 20.05 Further, the government has been urged not to fall short in its efforts to save Mhadei and not to sacrifice Mhadei under any pressure. Meanwhile, an array of speakers spoke at the meeting urging Goans to unite as one and take the Mhadei fight forward. Prof Prajal Sakhardande highlighted how almost half of Goa is dependent on Mhadei water with its six talukas dependent on the river for its drinking water. “If 3.9 TMC feet water is allowed to be diverted, it will spell doom for Goa and we will not allow that to happen,” Sakhardande added. Dnyanpith awardee Damodar Mauzo likened the current movement with that of the Opinion Poll wherein several leaders participated. “That time too, we were Narayan Pissurlenkar told nothing will come out of such movement and today also, they will tell that nothing will happen but we will definitely taste victory if such a massive crowd is behind the movement,” Mauzo added. TMC leader Kirti Azad opined that Goa will not re- main the same if Mhadei water is allowed to be diverted. “What will happen to its wildlife parks, its tourism?” he questioned and urge Goans to unitedly fight for Mhadei’s cause for the sake of future generations. Chicalim Parish Priest Fr SANQUELIM: Even as separate seating arrangements were made for all the 40 MLAs for the Save Mhadei meet at Sanquelim, only six attended. Among those who attended included Congress’ Yuri Alemao, Adv Carlos Ferreira and Altone D’Costa, AAP’s Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, and Goa Forward’s Vijay Sardessai. Apart from that, several former MLAs also attended including Ramakant Khalap, Pratap Gawas, Alina Saldanha, Victor Gonsalves and others. ON PAGE 3 Sardesai gives ultimatum of 15 days for DPR withdrawal Revolutionary Goans Party becomes target of some speakers to him. “As the politicians have failed to protect Mhadei, it is the people who have taken the lead and politicians should extend their support to the movement,” Polgi stated. >Continued on P5 Legal battle only way to stop Governor’s address skips Mhadei on Mhadei diversion: Kerkar opening day of Assembly session Claims K’taka’s projects will spell doom for Goa THE GOAN I NETWORK SANQUELIM Painting a grim picture on the Mhadei issue, environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar pointed out that legal battle is the only way forward to stop the diversion of the river. “The Tribunal has already given the award which allows Karnataka 3.9 TMC water and we cannot stop that from happening,” Kerkar said. However, he pointed out that in the DPR Karnataka has proposed diversion of Surla river water as well, which cannot be the case. “On this point, we can take the legal fight forward and win,” Kerkar said. He further said that if one studies thoroughly the projects proposed by Karnataka, then they will realize the quantum of the disaster awaiting as Goa will not get even a single drop of K E R K A R : F R A N K TA L K „„Important that our MLAs first understand the issue... When we don’t have knowledge, there is no possibility of achieving victory „„I tried to pass on Mhadei knowledge to MLAs in the past, but they were not interested „„Goans should also give equal importance to other rivers as well which are water. “It is important that our MLAs first understand about the issue. When we don’t have knowledge of the issue, there is no possibility of achieving a victory,” Kerkar said and urged the six Opposition MLAs present to first read the 12 volumes which were pre- being neglected „„Scientists of Goa did not come forward to offer services in the fight for Mhadei when needed pared on Mhadei. “I had tried to pass on Mhadei knowledge to the MLAs in the past. But, they were not interested,” Kerkar said, while stating that in Karnataka, the MLAs are very knowledgeable on the issue. >Continued on P5 PAINTS ROSY PICTURE OF GOA, CITES ‘IMPRESSIVE’ SOCIO-ECO INDICATORS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Monday entirely skipped the vexed Mhadei issue even as in his nearly hour-long address to the Goa legislative Assembly on day one of the 4-day winter session, he painted a rosy picture of governance on the legs of the State’s “very impressive” numbers relating to socio-economic indicators. The Opposition was absent as their attempt to seek that the Governor speak on the Mhadei imbroglio, shouting slogans, holding placards, symbolically adorned in black and even rushing to the House well, ended with the Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar ordering their ejection by marshals.  The six MLAs -- Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao and his two Congress colleagues Carlos Alvares-Ferreira and Slogan-shouting Oppn shown the door Opposition insulted Governor, says Sawant >> See pg 3 Altone D’Costa, AAP’s Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva and GFP’s Vijai Sardesai -- however walked out and boycotted the Governor’s address even before the marshals could usher them out. RGP’s lone MLA, Viresh Borkar, was not in the House at the time of the commotion but claimed he was very much PANAJI: All seven MLAs from the Opposition wore black attires and got ejected from the House after six of them sought to interrupt the Governor’s address walking into the well of the House chanting ‘Amchi Mhadei Amkam Zai’ and holding placards on day one of the 4-day winter session of the Goa legislative assembly on Monday. Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao led the demand for the Governor Sreedharan Pillai to speak on the Mhadei issue first and was backed by five other colleagues from his Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP). Viresh Borkar, the lone Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) MLA was not present in the House at the time but came in much later and also got ejected.  >> See pg 3 with the Opposition on the Mhadei issue. Also adorned in black, he was removed from the House when he entered and took his seat. Pillai, meanwhile, went ahead with his address in which he said, Goa’s so- cio-economic indicators are “very impressive” as against those of other States and claimed his government had implemented or initiated all assurances made in the 2021- >Continued on P5 Govt admits to numerous Govt orders clean up of all wells in Candolim side-effects of Covid jabs Appoints six-member committee to investigate Pilerne factory fire RTI CITES REPLIES FROM ICMR, CDSCO AGENCIES MUMBAI It’s official. The government’s two top watchdogs have admitted to ‘multiple side-effects’ of Covid-19 vaccines that were jabbed in over a billion Indians in the past more than two years. The startling revelations are made by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in an RTI reply to Pune businessman Prafful Sarda. In a specific query by Sarda on the side-effects of all these jabs, the ICMR’S PIO Dr Leyanna Susan George and CDSCO’s PIO Sushanta Sarkar, have cited a plethora of ramifications arising out of all these vaccines comprising their FAQs. Covishield takes the lion’s share of its after-effects on the jabbed janta -- injection site tenderness or pain, multiple red spots or bruises beyond the injected site, persistent vomiting without reasons, severe or persistent abdominal pains or headaches with or without vomiting, shortness of breath, chest pains, pain in limbs or swelling on pressing >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA hile the government has set up a committee headed by North Goa Collector to probe the fire incident at the Pilerne Industrial Estate, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has directed the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and Water Resources Department (WRD) to inspect and clean the wells at Saipem in Candolim village. “A committee has been appointed to look into the fire incident under the Collector, North which has around six members, which include a member each of GSPCB and CALANGUTE MLA WANTS HAZARDOUS PAINT FACTORY RELOCATED >> See pg 3 W IDC. They will submit their report to the government. After getting the report, we will discuss the matter in detail and decide what action to be taken. I have also directed the WRD and GSPCB to inspect and clean the wells,” Sawant said. Y IN SHORT >> A section of the crowd at the Save Mhadei meeting near Amona bridge, Sanquelim on Monday.  DA SANQUELIM Thousands of people from all over Goa descended at Virdi-Sanquelim on Monday, to extend their support to the Save Mhadei movement, which is being touted as the second Opinion Poll. A couple of resolutions were adopted demanding that the Central Water Tribunal withdraw the approval of DPR granted to Karnataka as any attempt to divert the nature water course of Mhadei would have severe impact on population of the six talukas depending on their drinking water needs. “It will also affect the flora and fauna of the river valley, as well as the people’s life and culture in the area. Diversion of Mhadei will threaten the Western Ghats along with the fishermen, farmers, paddy fields, cultivated lands and biological resources that depend on the river water,” the resolution states. Stating that the Mhadei issue is associated with the self respect, identity and future of Goans, another resolution has urged the State government to come out publicly in support of the movement. Bolmax Pereira chided Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for stating the Opposition is doing politics on Mhadei issue as he said that it is the duty of the politicians to resolve the issue. “The issue can be resolved through a political answer,” he opined. Further, Fr Pereira called upon CM Sawant and all the MLAs to resign in protest, if they fail to resolve the issue. Adv Hrudaynath Shirodkar urged that there is a need to strengthen the hands of Rajendra Kerkar who has dedicated his life for Mhadei. “Our government is not fighting the Mhadei case in the SC properly and hence, we have to rally behind Kerkar to take the fight forward,” Shirodkar said. Poet Datta Damodar Naik questioned how a State is allowed to divert a river when even nations cannot do so. “From India, 6 rivers flow to Pakistan but the flow was never stopped. Then how Karnataka is doing the same?” he posed. Activist Xencor Polgi questioned the absence of CM Pramod Sawant at the meet even though he claims that Mhadei is more than a mother Only 6 MLAs attend meet ON SUN Candolim Sarpanch Fermino Fernandes informed that there were at least around 30 wells at Saipem and Orda in Candolim which have been contaminated. “The CM has directed the WRD and GSPCB to empty and revive all the wells in the village. It has come as a big solace to the villagers. In the meanwhile, we have arranged water tankers to supply water to the locals for the moment,” Fernandes said. The deadly fire that engulfed a warehouse of the Berger Becker Coatings Pvt Ltd at the Pilerne Industrial Estate last week created much panic among the Saipem villagers in the vicinity. The Fire and Emergency Services Department took almost 48 hours to bring the fire under control and used more than 2 lakh litres of water besides foam to bring the fire under control. Several fire tenders from the fire department, MPT and even the navy were used in the fire fighting operation. Fortunately, there was no loss of life but around 44 vehicles were gutted while the paint factory’s entire warehouse was gutted in the fire incident.