Cycle One, Cycle Two

Looking at a picture of our Chief Minister on his bicycle  was a wonderful sight indeed. His statement of our need to protect the environment and keep Goa green has certainly gone straight to the heart of the Goan community, and also non-Goans.  As they say, home is where the heart is and the non-Goans have chosen to make Goa their home.

His advice to people who oppose coal goes beyond the issue of coal to include other sources of pollution too. It is time for action and a time to walk the talk. He is right, and we who live in Goa in cooperation with the government should declare a war on all kinds of pollution in our State.

On the issue of coal pollution it should be noted how it cannot be separated from coal. It cannot as the coal cannot be controlled when it is unloaded from the ships and loaded on to the trains. And who  suffers most? Of course the people in the port town of Vasco who are fighting for their fundamental right to good health. They have to fight, they have no choice if they want good health as the coal is unloaded from the ships at the harbor which is in the port town in Vasco. It is also the source of loading of coal on to trains which is in Vasco. 

We need to protect our greenery, air and water and make sure our garbage is managed properly. Why do you think rich people from all over India dream of coming to Goa to live, especially in the twilight of their lives? We know how terrible Delhi is! What does it mean to be rich, live in a large apartment and own a big car if we have to breathe in polluted air? Delhi is not only the capital of India it is also the most polluted city in the world.

The government should declare Zero Tolerance to pollution! This should be the goal of the State of Goa as tourism otherwise will die and it cannot be allowed to happen as it is now the backbone of our economy, with mining a very sick patient. The onslaught against pollution should begin, and all sources of pollution need to be identified and brought under control immediately. Everything. A lot of clean energy and technology is already available and so the government's job is not a big challenge - from air pollution to garbage to transportation to everything else in between which is harmful to our health. Statistics should be available easily to Goans in every sector and the countdown to zero pollution should begin as we cannot afford to lose any more time.

The people of Goa should support Chief Minister Parrikar in his intention to introduce clean energy solutions and his fight to protect the environment. He has done well in Cycle One but having a bicycle riding program in Porvorim every six months appears more form than substance. 

In Cycle Two, once a month on Sundays NoMoZo should be established in our cities and towns, especially in Panjim our capital. On this day vehicles should be banned from 9 to 5 so people can ride their bicycles. Special zones can also be set up for entertainment. On this day, allow the people who live in our cities to claim their city for a day, once a month. Is this asking for too much?