Goa needs two cyclone shelters
A massive multipurpose cyclone shelter, estimated to cost around Rs 4.38 crore, is set to come up at Zuarinagar in Sancoale in Mormugao taluka. It is learnt that the project will be funded by the World Bank and is expected to be completed by March 2022. This will serve as a major rehabilitation shelter at the time of a natural calamity as Goa is a coastal state and a natural calamity is within the realm of possibility.
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It is understood that the cyclone shelter would be used during a calamity as also for organizing various activities and local functions. It would be desirable to reserve the cyclone shelter only for crisis situations as one can never be sure when a natural calamity will strike. Other activities and social functions can be organized at venues meant for such functions. As and when the Kala Bhavan at Sancoale becomes operational, it can be used for social functions.
It is pertinent to note that if (God forbid) a natural calamity like a cyclone does strike the state, there will be very little time available to shift people affected in North Goa to the facility being made available at Sancoale in South Goa.
Hence Goa would do well to have two such multipurpose cyclone shelters, one in North Goa and the other one in South Goa so that the affected people can be shifted to the cyclone shelter in quick time.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Another nail in Goa’s coffin
The recently released draft of the amended Coastal Zone Management Plan permits setting up of ‘tourism related infrastructure’ (the term itself is open to so much interpretation) in
‘No Development Zones’ in non ecologically sensitive areas (Mollem was hugely eco-sensitive, remember?). Besides allowing parking lots, toilets, change rooms, jetties, swimming pools and cabins to be built, it also facilitates erecting structures for holding of marriages and public events . And horror of horrors, these would be allowed even on river banks and estuaries…double damnation.
There are already over a 100 applications pending with the ‘Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority’ for regularization of structures built in contravention of CRZ laws, maybe the owners of such properties already knew that the laws would be amended in their favour.
This proposed dilution of existing laws which were drafted to check rampant illegal construction would wreak havoc upon Goa’s fragile ecology, this is nothing but playing right into the hands of the building mafia and influential land sharks. Take for instance the case of a private club at Vagator which has been built in the no-developement-zone of the CRZ, and is a permanent structure to boot. Inspite of various notices by the building authorities the club owner has not demolished the property, reneging on his earlier promise of doing so.Infact he has obtained a judicial stay order in the past, thumbing his nose at the law.
There are also other luxury villas and clubs mainly built by non Goans in the NDZ which have managed to get stays from courts, by these proposed amendments we are opening ourselves up to more irreversible environmental havoc .In the future expect more wedding mandaps, clubs, villas and parking sheds to gobble up the sea and river coasts , almost a quarter of the NDZ has anyway been encroached upon by the real estate mafia.Facilitating building activity in what were in effect buffer zones would also drive up prices in the state and make housing yet more unaffordable for locals.
If anything at all the GCZMA should crack down on violators without fear or favour within the ambit of existing laws and bring down illegal structures forthwith instead of merely sending notices and demanding ‘action plans’ from erring parties .We don’t want these proposed watered down laws driving another nail in Goa’s coffin…enough nails have been driven in as it is.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Electric vehicles and pollution
Electric vehicles are in the news and it seems a common mistake is made that they do not pollute the environment. Yes, at the point of use, the air pollution will reduce and is necessary. But do not forget that the electricity used to charge the vehicle is produced by power plants, in India, mostly thermal meaning coal. Coal plants produce 955 gram of carbon per unit of electricity while solar ones produce 40 g. Net-net there is no reduction in environmental pollution. If we go by the Govt.’s philosophy that: if you want electricity then you must bear the coal dust, then EV’s should be banned in Goa?
Our goal must be to reduce the carbon footprint in India – note we cannot speak about Western countries carbon footprint as we should not meddle in their internal matters, right?
EV’s will use LEDs because of low power consumption. These LED’s, while mercury free, contain lead mostly in the red ones while the white ones contain nickel: both responsible for allergies.
So, EV’s come with the requirement of proper care in handling and disposal of the batteries. In Goa, we see many incidents of vehicles ‘spontaneously catching fire’. We have no clue of the reason despite the standard ‘short circuit theory’.
Hydrogen fuel cells have an energy to weight ratio 10 times greater than the Li-ion batteries and can also be recharged in a few minutes just like the fuel vehicles. But here too electricity is required. Once again, just like in our homes, we must reduce the use. Current fuel based vehicles actually generate less pollution than thermal plants: EV’s will only increase the pollution.
R Fernandes, Margao
Rs 100 crore for panchayats
The generous offer of spending Rs 100 crore for the Panchayats in Goa is a welcome move and the Panchayats must make full use of the money to develop the villages of Goa and get rid of the black spots in the country side.
Since the Government wants to renovate structures related to the Liberation struggle the Government must honour the Father of the Opinion Poll, Dr Jack Sequeira by building a memorial in his honour without whose contribution Goa would be a District of Maharashtra just like Sawantwadi and Dr Sawant would only be a MLA and not the CM of that state.
Matias Lobo, Tivim
Red signal jumping rampant
It has been quite a few days since traffic signals were installed at prominent junctions at Panjim city. By virtue of its meaning, signals show the way on the road and are second in command after the traffic police. Of course, majority of the drivers follow the orders dictated by these light-bots on the road junction, but there are a few unruly citizens who brazenly jump the signals, thus irking those who abide by it.
Then there are people who will halt their vehicle ahead of the white-lines marked and, when confronted by police, will show their pompous nature. There is another breed of people who, after seeing the orange signal, will race against time to beat the transition to red to feel victorious. When orange, the driver is expected to apply brakes so that his vehicle halts by the time it is red.
Another set of people will stop when red, but when the countdown timer is about to shift to green, but not yet green, will accelerate their engines as if they are a part of a championship. This behaviour only shows the impatient nature of a human. This red-light jumping reporting was a part of the Traffic Sentinel scheme (now discontinued), however, one had to stand at the signal with the setup of the camera to catch the ill-behaved drivers. Instead, the government should install CCTV cameras and issue challans.
I believe that such behaviour starts from home and is transferred from peers/parents to the new learners. Unless there is discipline in the house, we cannot expect discipline elsewhere.
Raghav Gadgil, Khandola
