WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024
Joe D’Souza
I was lucky to be born in the bountiful village of Anjuna 76 years ago and over the years gone by, I have seen the village being transformed from a bountiful paradise into a living hell. During the yesteryears, especially during the Summer and Diwali break, I used to go fishing into the crystal-clear waters of the Chapora river where the inland waters were discharged in the Arabian sea. One will not believe me say that besides a variety of fish, I would also angle crabs and lobsters which were in bounties in the Bay waters of the Caisua village. Needless to suggest the eco system around this estuarian bay biodiversity abounded. It was rich in fishes like gobro, adho, modso, tamoshi, shevte, dodyare, etc, besides shell fish like oysters, mussels, clams, etc.
At the moment, the Anjuna village looks like paradise lost. Most of the marine biodiversity has been degraded and destroyed. The oxygen content of the waters which were around 8 milligrams supported the food chain cycle in the estuarian waters. Needless to mention the properties of phytoplankton to zooplankton was adequate to support and sustain the metamorphosis of fish eggs into its various lava stages to finally transfer itself into a tasty fish which we then enjoy as a unique delicacy. I vividly recall to have eaten huge oysters 4–6 cms in diameter in a single carbonate shell which I see as extinct in Chapora Bay of today. Most of the fish then were large, tasty and nutritious. The flesh often was rich in algal pigments and constituted various vitamins and carotenoid which gave them a rich and a pink coloration. Now, the flesh is not only whitish but greyish, brownish or even blackish.
To add a nail to the coffin of the poor villagers, the short-sighted government of Goa is hell bent in transferring the area around Chapora into a living hell by proposing a number of Transfer Stations along the pristine coastline of Goa including the Chapora Bay. The term Transfer Stations appears innocuous or harmless in letter but however in spirit, I as a scientist clearly am alarmed that our coastline will be used to transport and transfer hazardous chemicals, coal and woodchips which could not only cost village pollution during transfer but induce respiratory infections into the surrounding village along the roads which transport these hazardous chemicals.
Unfortunately, it is not becoming of Goans to go into Rip Van Winkle slumber and ignore the suffering which are to come unto them if they view it in a lackadaisical manner or afford a Nelson’s eye to this grave threat.
Last straw on the camel’s back to the holistic development of Goa and Goans is a fact that hordes of migrants with pots of black money have taken over the coastal area by constructing illegal structures, misusing the panchayats and the government officials by greasing the palms of those in power of licensing and giving permissions.
I have on record, some seaward constructions within the Intertidal zone along the Anjuna coastal zone. Concrete walls and concrete steps have been constructed on the beach thus destroying the sand dunes which are important in protecting the land against potential ravages by storm waves from the sea. An immediate action should be taken by the government of Goa to restore these sand dunes.
However, my research as a scientist has revealed that there are at least 50 visible structures which are an eye sore and hell hazard not only to the residents but also to the salubrious marine environment of our State of Goa.
Furthermore, the Chapora jetty and adjacent buildings are within the buffer zone of the archaeological site. The Mangroves along the Chapora Bay have been destroyed and in its place fishing boats are stationed. A gross violation of environment has been done in this beautiful village of Anjuna which saddens my heart and I often wonder what happened to the people who cherished this world-famous village of Anjuna full of nature’s goodness.
