Goa is the smallest State in India with an area of just 3702 sq. kms, with only around 300 kms left for development. It is also the last State to join the Indian Union. Reportedly, it is known as a “paradise in a pocket” because of its scenic beauty and small size, smaller than some districts in India. These factors ought to have weighed to treat Goa with care, tenderness and special attention and its little available land used judiciously.

 

Surely, it wouldn’t be fair and would be far from truth to say that Goa has been neglected or received step-motherly treatment, like many other States complain. Goa has seen much infrastructure development, though, most of it, is not meant for Goans but mainly for coal transportation. Some of these works were hurriedly executed for inauguration photo ops, are sub-standard and have given way in few months, with crores of public money going down the drain. Examples: Kala Academy, High Court, Mopa airport, newly hot-mixed roads, several new roads under water, including the one connecting to Mopa, retaining walls collapsing and landslides happening for want of preventive or timely corrective measures.

 

Do we need to guess or prove, why? Nothing but corruption and commissions, despite shrill claims of “Na khaunga, na khane dunga.” And, sadly, the crumbling new infrastructure in the rest of the country, which is even difficult to enumerate, involving new bridges and airports collapsing, is far worse, even in sacred places like Ayodhya, with no accountability whatsoever. Though the slogan is supposedly “Sabka saat, sabka vikas”, yet, it appears, it can happen only in States with double engine sarkars, some engineered with defections. Non-BJP States claim that Andhra & Bihar have had special financial allocations, to help the Central Govt to survive, despite the sizeable contributions of former to the Centre. Perhaps the Courts will need to decide whether, such flagrant discrimination in distribution of public funds, is acceptable.

 

At the risk of boring my readers, I cannot help harping on issues of conversions and land sale in Goa, which are happening at an alarming pace and must worry every Goan worth the name, for the impact on our environment, demography and social structure could be really grave, particularly as the beneficiaries are money bags from outside Goa. If zone changing of 21,29,000 sq m. of green spaces to construction sites in just 15 months – ten times more than in last 37 years, should not concern and disturb us, then what should? 

 

Our perennial and indefatigable fighter for Goa, Dr Claude Alvares rightly asks whether we wish to go the Waynard way by converting 11,00,000 sq. m. of hill slopes or NDZ into settlement zones. Fellow Goans, can such massive and criminal concretization of Goa, to satisfy the greed of few, meet with silence or just meek protests from us? We either rise and fight for this Goa we love and “worth fighting for” (in the words of retired Justice GS Patel), or we perish, to our eternal regret and the curses of our future generations.

 

Thankfully, the Government escaped the wrath of the people by withdrawing the Bill aimed at keeping TCP’s land conversion under ODPs, out of Courts’ purview. Probably, it would not stand the test of judicial scrutiny. But, look at the audacity in trying to overcome illegalities and wrongdoings!!!

 

Another respected and intrepid warrior, Swapnesh Sherlekar is regularly on video, never mincing words in exposing the Satari broker and warning people of impending dangers of Goa being sold to Delhi magnates. He claims that in Pernem constituency alone 261,000 sq. m. are being converted under new Sec. 17(2) and 39 A of TCP Act to settlement. These include industrial zones, natural cover, orchard, paddy fields, etc. He asserts that under Sec 39A, only two properties are marked for conversion and both are in Corgao. A Company registered in June 2023, purchased in Nov 2023 one admeasuring 92175 sq. m. for Rs 18.4 crores. Swapnesh wonders how would anyone invest such a huge sum in an orchard property, unless he was assured of conversion later.

 

It is really strange that a through bred Goan, who claims to have inherited enough from his progenitor, should indulge in outright sale of Goa to money bags from outside, not only depriving needy Goans of housing due to unaffordable prices, but putting Goa at the risk of natural calamities.

 

Coming to dangers looming large on Goa, we note, with sadness, that after congesting our cities, with higher FAR, limited or no parking spaces in buildings and no parking lots, neglecting or damaging our beaches and sand dunes, allowing illegal mining with excavation below sea level, our short-sighted rulers are now gunning for the hinterland. The hill cutting across the sea at Reis Magos, destroying hundreds of trees and animal life, to accommodate luxurious villas worth around fifty crores, goes against the sound advices of avoiding destruction of natural cover on hill slopes, etc.

 

Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil calls Wayanad tragedy man-made and warns that Goa may have the same fate if no action is taken on environmental front. He adds that like some other States, Goa is also “witnessing activities which are driven by greed for unlimited profits” and that though Goa does not have Western Ghats as high as Kerala, it could still face similar problems of floods and landslides. We have already seen landslides in Margao, threatening buildings built on slopes, touching the hills.

 

The CM must immediately intervene and stop the ongoing large-scale conversion of lands into settlement, particularly on hill slopes and low-lying areas, which could lead to permanent regrets in future.