* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Photos from the 43rd Mando Festival, Dec 9-10, 2009 at the Kala Academy (5 pm onwards) http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/sets/72157622843319441/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Even as the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the Prinicpal chief engineeer PWD to file an affidavit within one week on the steps taken to asssure a constant supply of potable water to residents of Porvorim and Mapusa, several areas of Porvorim continue to have no water supply for the third day today. Last weekend there was no water for four days citing some breakdown. Ready made excuses like turbidity, low voltage, pipe burst, pump brekdown are common and there is no one to take account whether these are facts. The HC has observed that access to safe and potable drinking water falls under the ambit of Right to Life as is guaranteed in article 21 of the Constitution of India. The MLA Dayanand Narvekar is now inciting people to agitate but this was the man just two years ago was pushing the IT Park at Socorro. He had claimed that there is ample water and activists raising the issue were ridiculed by his 2 retired professors and a bunch of stooges. Where are th ey now? Guys like Frederick have problems when we raise the issue of migrant influx. What is his solution to the water crisis now in as early as October -December after a extremely good rainfall? Does the right to migrate anywhere in India mean that one goes and deprives the local population of their fundamental rights? Do the Goans have a right to protect their livelihood and culture? Frederick needs a dose of feni to come to his senses. A Telengana type relentless agitation seems the only solution for Goans. The options are fast narrowing. -soter
