As the 50th International Film Festival of India beckons, tourists flock the capital of Goa, Panjim which is a location akin to a hybrid between a city and a typical Goan village.
Until now, we have been able to maintain a very healthy balance of throbbing thorough fares as well as tree-lined areas, chiefly the Altinho area, the Campal to Miramar Dayanand Bandodkar Marg avenue, which also towards the Mandovi River is dotted with Casuarina trees that have prevented erosion.
The concept being the brain child of the late nonagenarian historian and multi-tasked bureaucrat Percival Noronha, as well as the hillock behind the Panjim Church from Bairo Alto dos Pilotos to Corte de Oiteiro.
These trees are the lungs of Panjim which replenishes the air with oxygen by taking in the carbon dioxide emitted by vehicular traffic which should for Panjim contribute 75 per cent to 80 per cent of the pollutants in the city. This far the Air Quality Index (AQI) does not normally go above the 40 mark which is a tribute to the trees that line our roads.
However, to keep air pollution in check, it may be suggested that if pay parking is made the norm in Panjim, vehicles that have not undergone the pollution check and do not have a Non Polluting Vehicle label should be charged double the fee for pay parking.
This measure will ensure that all vehicles conform to undergoing pollution checks which should be made compulsory. The AQI of Panjim should not be taken for granted and should be maintained at all costs.
