With regards to Gadkari’s visit to Goa and his verbal assurances to Goans to go ahead with marinas, will benefit tourism and local fisherfolk. One should appreciate his intelligence and speed to build roads and flyovers inland, tiny percentage of damage on environment can be accepted.
Can a person living in completely different environmental surrounding hundreds of kilometers away from the shore line understand the hardship and routines of living of an individual closer to ocean’s shore line and its nearby river banks? What are their age old traditional activities and means to survive? No, the former may have little knowledge which is very dangerous for the later livelihood.
The inhabitants of coastal and its nearby river banks have their unique skills of daily activities to carry on their meager part of livelihood to the best of their needs. And if we try to snatch their God given source of income by destroying and concretizing, what will be people’s future, in shambles and in distress.
No doubt tourism will benefit the state to a certain extent, and may be few jobs to locals (as in the case of casinos). Is it not the elected Government’s responsibility to support and protect the people’s means of income? The marina project will create insecurity, irreparable loss to fisher folk and an irreversible damage to the affected area.
Presently all the secluded habitats are free of hustle and bustle, construction activities for marinas will disinfect water, disturb peace, filling an end of marshy land, new roads, cutting of trees and destruction of mangroves. Dredging of tidal land will destroy biodiversity, breeding ground of fish, all shell species, crabs, billions of tiny fish-ling and eggs. Are we not supposed to protect all these?
Continuous movements of water skies, speed boats, cruise boats and yachts will tremendously increase noise pollution and propellers will murky and disturb calm waters driving the fish away. Besides filth, garbage and sewage released by above water vehicles including diesel, oil will hugely pollute the water. What will be the status of the marinas after a year or two? Did the union minister and local ministers think about it? Do they have futuristic plans for the people and the state? No not at all, they need pleasure projects to enjoy their hi-fi living.
