We need to really thank our stars: when Goans cannot compete with the rest we have our Ministers to fall back on! Two jewels we will forever be indebted to them are: coconut grass and Offshore Casinos. The former is well known to even our kids while the latter, since it is still massively used to date might need a bit of clarity. Offshore is a nautical term for away from the coast. In places where gambling is banned, to circumvent the law, they had casinos ‘offshore’ in International waters where the law did not reach.
When casinos started in Goa, gambling was banned-like matka – so they had Offshore Casinos in their own waters and made a law legalising it! What a jewel! I truly believe this can be challenged in a court of law- or matka can be legalised. Statues of the concerned please!
Now comes a third jewel: open defecation. The Government determined 70000 toilets to end the same. What is open defecation? When you can see the person or the job? It’s anybody’s guess.
Casinos qualify for the term open defecation. So also, do all constructions which do not have a sewage treatment plant. Septic tanks are ok for small dwellings like houses but not for apartments! They need to be either connected to the State STP or have their own STP. Now who was against mega projects?
Better still who was for them?
So, while everyone is waiting for 70000 toilets which will hide the doer, what is being done to hide the job?
It’s a shame that all coastal hotels and apartments have been allowed to come up without first having the STP’s in place. More statues please.
Rain water harvesting is promoted in Goa. Rain water is known to carry manganese from open dumps to the dams. No need to spell it out in this case. Incidentally, no water with ecoli is ever used for drinking purpose even though there are ways to treat the same as even a small error can cost lives.
Right now, no building, hotel must come up without having their own STP. This is the action required: but like the coconut and casinos people are directed elsewhere!
