Daijiworld Media Network – Margao

Margao, Mar 30: More than 1,000 villagers from eight flood-prone villages in Goa on Monday withdrew their protest against the controversial Mirabag Bandara project on the Zuari River after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant personally intervened.

Sawant held direct talks with the agitators at Tamdi Mati in Margao and assured them that the project would be scrapped. Addressing their key demand, he promised to mark “cancellation” on the official project file and asked protesters to verify it through an RTI application. “File an RTI tomorrow and collect the official copy,” he said, assuring transparency.

The chief minister also announced that all police cases registered against the protesters would be withdrawn, addressing concerns over legal action.

The protest had escalated earlier in the day when police stopped demonstrators on Mirabag Bridge, enforcing prohibitory orders under Section 163 imposed by North Goa District Magistrate Ankit Yadav amid the sensitive atmosphere surrounding the Ponda by-election.

Despite earlier verbal assurances, which they claimed were unreliable, villagers from Sanvordem, Sanguem, and Curchorem had demanded written confirmation of the project’s cancellation. They expressed fears that the proposed barrage could lead to flooding, threatening temples, homes, and livelihoods in the region.

Following the chief minister’s assurances, the villagers decided to end their high-stakes agitation.