Crowd has dispersed from the main road in Panchwadi after Ponda police assured them that the goons responsible for attempting to cut down the forest will be be arrested immediately. Panchwadi people has now gone to the Ponda police station to further force the police to arrest the goons.
In the scuffle that unfolded on the site four villagers from Panchwadi were beaten up by the goons. The four villagers includes Costao Fernandes who is admitted in government hospital in Margao with injuries, Derek D'Costa, Nazareth Godhinho and Classey Costa. The fifth one Cristev D'Costa who was also chased by goons jumped into Zuari river and swam across to escape unhurt.
According to the latest available information Ponda police has caught one Shamir D'Costa and processing his arrests. Others who were involved in the assault on villagers includes Agustine D'Costa, Cyril D'Costa, Lorik D'Costa, Johnson D'Costa and Maria D'costa. Except Maria D'costa everyone is absconding from the village.
In the meanwhile just received information from Rajendra Kakodkar, a member of Mangroves Society of India, the scientist who is responsible to give a report to the government that there are no Mangroves existing in Panchwadi - Dr. Arvind G. Untawale, former Director of National Institute of Oceonagraphy, Dona Paula, Goa - is also the executive secretary of Mangroves Society of India, and a member of Japan based organization - International Society for Mangrove Ecosystem (ISME) and is duty bound to protect Mangrove Ecosystems. It is a tragedy that he cannot even see Mangroves in places that are strategically important to mining industry. He deserved to be condemned in strongest possible words. Surely time is ripe for it now.
Sebastian Rodrigues
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