By Thecla Pereira
Cheers to the beer factory! Sympathies to the coconut trees, R.I.P.
The Editor through his edit dated 3.1.2016 has written clear as a bell laying before us those terrible facts about the 1.20 lac square meters declared as investment promotion area for a beer factory, that was marked as an orchard area which is surrounded by fields ,cashew trees and coconut trees in Sanguem. Shameful! To note that 1500 coconut trees will be cut down. What in God’s name has gone wrong!
Coconut trees that are symbolic, to our life in Goa, and add cynic beauty to our land are no more trees that need protection but considered as grass to be chopped and thrown away. Unimaginable!
How many years of hard work has been put into having to get these coconut trees grow, the water manure and time under the sun used, to nourish these precious trees that were our pride and wealth.
People of Goa do not turn a blind eye to all the wrong things that are happening, I am not the only one who has been saying this to you, I am just reinforcing, what other likeminded people have been saying. We will be creating for us disasters, just like what happened in Chennai and other places that have had, water shortage, floods and other complications that contribute to global warming.
Ugem River which is the source of irrigation, as you say, will be vulnerable to the needs of water for this factory. There is a saying “God helps those who help themselves” many say we have been saved from many disasters because of the Presence of Saint Francis Xavier, could we say he too must be disappointed with us! And a lesson could be thought to us the hard way. So keep your fingers crossed!
Looking at the signs as a whole and together, we have moved into times that are full of promises but fraught with unimaginable dangers, nor are we all in the same place of thinking ,some have moved forward, others are moving backward and still others have no idea where they are going. The dangers and threats remain. I would say, we know what to do, but, we lack the will to do because we seem unable to more beyond our short sighted, selfish interest, our individualism love for money and not sustainable projects. I say this of those who are responsible for this project. Beer factory!
Who is in control greedy bureaucrats, market forces, or thoughtful people with love for the earth “Our Home”. Hats off to you Mr Sujay Gupta, Editor Herald Group, you are a prophet of our times .May the fruit of your deep thinking and concern, light up some of our ignorant minds and ignite our hearts to fight tooth and nail against the selfish interest of a few.
Beer Factory! Death of Coconut Trees! Depletion of Water!
“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO” and someone once said don’t forgive them because they know what they are doing! We all need to cooperate if a number of us agree to do what is required. We will surely have the earth say “Thank You” to us, no floods! No disasters! We are all in this web of life, interconnected, the earth and us, the give and take spirituality.
