30 Nov 2022  |   05:09am IST

CAP GOA GREEN COVER AT 55%

Stephen Dias

Goa is heavily dependent of tourism and one of the main tourist s is Goa's greenery and its impressive flora and fauna. With this in mind, it would be prudent to cap Goa's green cover at at least 55% for the next ten years. This task is achievable if Goa government tightens its laws on the protection of hills. Forests, agricultural lands, wild life sanctuaries and wild life parks and reserves so that concretization does not exceed limits which will affect adversely the environment and the ecosystem of Goa.

It should be stressed that an elaborate inventory of Goa's flora and fauna is conducted so that the environmentalists can be consulted and the Goa Biodiversity Board can be roped in to maintain the thousands of plant species as well as animal varieties as also the birds and the butterflies that enrich Goa's green belts so that wild life species are protected in all the sanctuaries and wild life parks Also to enhance Goa's green cover, a culture of plantation of trees has to be developed so that the green cover can be even boosted above the 55% cap for the next 10 years. To make this exercise more meaningful the assistance of ICAR can be obtained so that all typical vegetables and fruit trees that are cultivated in the Goan soil at various places, which can be tested for nutrients available in the soil, so that best use of Goan conditions for propagation of green cover that is not only crucial, but also value based can be propagated. It would be beneficial if the cover of typical Goan trees such as coconut groves, mango plantation, cashew varieties of Goan species can be further propagated. Restoration of plantation in exhausted mines by land filling could also provide large areas for plantation.

Also indigenous fruit trees like jamun, jagma and kan’tam could be tried to be further propagated in suitable places where there is favourable soil nutrients.

This exercise should also involve the ban on intruding into the habitat of wild animals such as the wild boar, pangolins, civet cats, bison, tigers, porcupines and deer as well as wild rabbits. Forest and wild life sanctuary rangers can be employed to keep a check on the wild life by patrolling and protecting the wild life species. Alternately also, wild life safaris can be conducted to attract tourists to witness Goa's wild life and the exotic flora.

Concretisation will have to be controlled if they are violating our green cover. Goa has seen a high degree of concretisation and it is now imperative that very strict law is enacted to protect our green cover that is being depleted to a great extent.

A very thorough and comprehensive survey of all green areas have to be compiled from village to village to keep the cap on greenery at least for ten years. Incentives have to be provided for those who undertake plantation of trees on a large scale at least until the trees become productive and bear fruit. It would be the greatest reward we can give nature by maintaining our greenery in all its pristine glory while in the process doing ourselves a great favour by providing carbon sinks through the process of photosynthesis.


IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar