It is learnt that the offshore casinos will not be shifted from the Mandovi river come what may. The government is making all out effort to prove that offshore casinos are inland vessels, are not the only polluting agents and, the traffic in the Mandovi river is safe and so on. This has been done to appease the casino owners as they are reluctant to leave the Mandovi shore.
Mandovi river has its limitations due to its narrow width. Traditionally it is a navigational channel for water transport system since 1950s. When Japan started to rebuild its nation, Goan iron ore was fated to play a major role in Japan’s renewal. It is now on the radar of the Inland Waterways Authority of India to declare it as a National Waterway in the near future.
The 1-km Riviera stretch of the Mandovi river is getting congested with loaded barges which cannot break speed in mid water, ferries carrying passengers and vehicles, yachts, water sports boats, large cruise boats and catamaran boats ferrying hundreds tourists up and down daily, crisscrossing fishing trawlers, offshore casinos, fleet of feeder boats carrying offshore casino employees and clients and et al. This busy navigational channel has now become a collision course because many large offshore casinos are permanently anchored with their long mooring ropes and buoys, further shrinking the width of the river. And now a floating hotel-cum-casino will be making short trips up and down in the Mandovi river further adding fuel to the existing fire.
Goa Barge, Fishing Trawler owners have been long objecting to the Government of the serious hazard created by the offshore casinos in their traditional pathway in the Mandovi. The Captain of the barges have to reduce the speed of the barge to navigate through this congestion which delays the transportation by one hour per barge, causing an economic loss to the country. Technically, ships should not be anchored or moored in a busy narrow channel permanently just because they possess license from the Home Ministry.
The government is in full knowledge of the fact that this navigational traffic congestion can adversely affect not only human lives but also, the economy of the state in case of an impending accident because, this navigational channel will have to be shut down for rescue and salvage operations. Unfortunately the authorities have turned a blind eye to the real reality in favour of casino owners.
At the ground-level, the two wheelers belonging to the employees and, four wheelers of the clients of the offshore casinos are parked all over D B Road and side roads, cause a daily burning traffic jam problems in this section of the city further adding fuel to the fire. The society wants a limited number of cruise boats in this particular navigational channel. They also want that ferries should be only for passengers, and not for vehicles because it causes overcrowding nuisance.
