DHIRAJ HARMALKAR
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cansaulim: It’s an erosion all right. Chipping away not just at Goa’s coastlinebut changing the shape and identity pd Goa’s coastline, consuming ots existence with alarming alacrity. Unfortunately the stakeholders like the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority(GCZMA) who should have been protecting this aren’t showing the same energy that nature is, paying back man for its excesses. The Cansaulim Velsao stretch has faced the maximum brunt of erosion.
Cortalim MLA and former Environment Minster Alina Saldhana expressed concern at the sand erosion.
She pointed out that some eco-friendly methods such as planting “kher”, screw pines shrubs at the coastline on sands is one the best methods which was recently implemented by Cansaulim activist Olencio Simoes and it was successful to some extent. “I feel the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), environmentalist and researchers should take up this screw pines planting method at the beach area to halt sand erosion and a study needs to be carried out about the method so that it could be implemented elsewhere wherever needed” she said
Pravin Barros Pereira, a local youth from Cansaulim said “It’s so alarming and disheartening to see land along the coastline getting eroded. Preventing land from being washed off to benefit ecology and economy should be the way forward. The respective departments should come up with preventive measures like seawalls ,sand fences in areas subjected to rampant erosion or even vegetation in areas which witness mild erosion” , he said.
He further stated that “We also witness clogging of storm water drains due to garbage accumulation on a yearly basis which eventually drains into the sea. This could be prevented by periodic desilting and setting up nets to curtail the forward movement of the garbage and pre monsoon works have to be carried out religiously”.
Dr. Baban Ingole, retired Chief Scientist of National Institute of Oceanography(NIO) commented on the sand erosion issue and said that timely preventive measures to safeguard coastline from getting washed off needs to be taken by the concern govt agencies before its too late.
He said that a method of building a sandbars at the coastline, on beaches may prove very effective in halting sand erosion from happening. This is the eco-friendly method and this has been tested and proven method in the coastal villages of South India. Another method is of plantation of sea weeds, or dense vegetation at the beach area could also result in diminishing the sand erosion to much extent. I also feel proper study by the relevant govt agencies and researchers needs to be done to stop the sand erosion” he added.
It’s clear that the local villagers, the elected local bodies, environment protection agencies as well as the Tourism dept which is the custodian of beaches forms a joint action plan to tackle erosion instead of working om cross purposes.
After all isn’t it common sense that Goa should protect its chief asset, its beaches from either natural or man made disaster.
