Goa has a coast line of 103 kilometers, while the national coast line is 7516 spread over 9 states and union territories with Bay of Bengal on the east and Arabian sea on the west. The minister of MoEF &CC told the Rajya Sabha that of 1878 cases pertaining to CRZ violation 974 cases are from Goa. (These are only reported violations) The Goa’s coast line is only 1.3% of the national coast line but the violations are 50% of the national violations.
The figures may not disturb us, it only highlights the manner in which the tiny state is under attack from invasive tourism. Thousands of violations have gone unreported. Earlier, we had learnt to live with nature and respect for nature has been integral part of our value system until this land became a real estate piece. An apartment otherwise worth about fifty lakhs rupees get a price tag of Rupees Crore and half if it had a sea view or located on a river bank. A hill top apartment with sea/river view may even carry a better premium. Our sea face, rivers and hills are all part of commerce, no longer nature.
Besides lush green paddy fields and the forest cover embracing the east, the pristine sands and roaring waves on the west, Goa is blessed with hills and plateaus. For the past two decades, our hills are under attack for building apartments and hotels. Hill cutting generally leads to increased soil erosion, decrease in ground water cycles and imbalance in the ecosystem and biodiversity, but for us hill cutting is total destruction of our natural beauty and loss of long term tourism prospects. The problem is rapid concretization at the cost of nature with no cordial balance between nature and modernity is at the heart of the type of development that is let loose.
Despite the penal provision in TCP Act on hill cutting, it is destruction all the way. It’s a matter of shame and disgrace that an MLA who has been changing sides and has managed to be on the side of the ruling party every time, is now involved in illegal hill cutting and sale of mud to a construction company. The sheer audacity of this unscrupulous MLA tells us now little the elected cares for the electorate.
Vagheri hill near Mhadei wild life sanctuary has been cleared from the top. The canopy no longer exists and according to our TCP Minister, that is the job ‘done by a few land owners who have sold the properties to outsiders’. A case of large scale hill cutting was reported at Ribandar. Two years back another real estate developer cleared ‘Kankamoddi’ hill in Cuncolim. Another real estate developer has cleared Arlem hill. The Quepem MLA complains that a real estate developer is cutting hill for 3 years during weekends. Large scale flattening of hills at Morjim, Camurlim, Madrem and Tuem has gone on with very little action by the official agencies. These are only few of the instances that got highlighted but even in these cases nothing tangible has come out. The TCP minister roared that Government officers being in connivance in permitting massive hill cutting to facilitate the hotel project at Arpora. He claimed that there was a serious lapse on the part of the officials of the TCP. What action is taken against them? His silence now
is deafening.
There is method in the madness. Firstly the hill cutting complaints get ignored. When it becomes a public issue, the flying squad will conduct inspection and in case of a high profile matter, the TCP minister will himself visit giving a photo –op for social media. A stop work order if issued will be ignored by the violator and those in charge shall act helpless. Meantime the developer will try to buy over the complainants. The net result- zero effect. The hilly green cover on the northern side of Mandovi is all over. Green cover is disappearing and getting replaced with concrete hills. Goa story may not last long as the government shows such blatant disregard for its rustic landscape. The irony of the situation is the government sees depleting green cover as a sign of development!
The TCP minister talks smartly, but no smart governance. Satellite imagery and monitoring of eco sensitive areas through smart technology could have been used to have complete control even without visiting locations. There are hardly any prosecutions and convictions. The violators have no fear. They know that the government is on their side.
The environment activists are in a continuous battle mode to protect the little that is left of Goa. The High court has also stepped in and done its bit. But the government and its machinery have abdicated its responsibility in favour of reckless profiteers. For those in control of land, planning and forests, it is business all the way. The regulators, officials law enforcing agencies are all hand in glove with rapacious real estate developers who use muscle and money to get their way.
But how long this can go on and how long the environment activists will carry on the fight? The civil society fighting for past two decades is unable to withstand the power of the real estate developers backed by the might of the state. A learned judge of the Bombay HC said ‘Goa is a place worth fighting for’. Eternal vigilance is the price to save this tiny state. There is no other way. The battle has to continue until we elect those who respect nature and love the state. The fight has to go on.
(The writer is a practicing advocate and a political thinker)
