SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Alarmed over the change in names of villages on Google Maps, residents of South Goa have pointed out that this occurs when Google maps is opened with villages shown along the map lines and clarified that this is not when searching for a location, but when the maps open, the names of these villages can be seen at their corresponding geographical location.
They further pointed out that there are cases where the names have been correct but many cases where the names are given a different spelling altogether and expressed their helplessness at trying to get this corrected with Google.
For instance, Colva is shown as Kolve, Betalbatim is shown as Btalbhati, Carmona as Karmane, Cavelossim as Kavlesi, Velsao as Velsaovaon, Cortalim as Kortali, Nagoa as Nagve.
The villagers feel that this casual changing of place names is highly disrespectful to the region’s culture and heritage. Many of these villages have centuries of history behind their names, rooted in local languages and traditions. Renaming them haphazardly on a widely-used platform like Google Maps essentially erases that historical context.
The residents have demanded that Google rectify these errors and restore the proper spellings and names.
They further said that preserving the accurate nomenclature of these villages is seen as vital to upholding Goa's unique cultural identity in the face of rapid modernisation and development.
They recalled how in the past, the names of certain beaches were also changed and in the place of its original name, they were given the name of brands having interest in that area.
They pointed out that this is different and appears to be a lack of due diligence and there has been no response to attempts to correct this.
"It really pains me to see how our villages are being misrepresented on maps, with their names misspelled or even completely wrong. These names hold immense cultural and historical significance for us – they are the very essence of our identity, tied to our roots and our heritage. Only the Google Maps team has the authority to rectify these errors, but they seem to be oblivious to the anguish it causes us. We have tried getting it diced. While one can update information about roads, directions, or establishments, you can't change the name of an incorrect place on Google Maps. We want that the names are kept accurately not just for today in these cases but in the future too for village names across Goa, " said Kenneth Fernandes, who works with a digital firm.
Bab Google has named your villages
Colva is Kolve, Betalbatim is Btalbhati, Carmona is Karmane, Cavelossim is Kavlesi, Velsao is Velsaovaon, Cortalim is Kortali, Nagoa is Nagve.
