------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------- Ecological Gamble with Mandovi Waterfront ---------------------------------------------------------
by Nandkumar Kamat
As an ecologist familiar with the city of Panaji's changing topography and limited work done by the NIO oceanographers since 1979 on Mandovi estuary, I am uncomfortable with any idea of drastic modification of Mandovi's waterfront between the Mandovi bridge to Caranzalem.
The island of Tiswadi on which the capital city of Panaji is located has a fragile ecological history. One third of the island area comprises reclaimed land. The architect of the northern part of this island is the Mandovi river. The reclaimed land and the man-made waterfront of the city also has a similar fragile history.
The old photographs of the city reveal the topography as it existed in the beginning of the 20th century. Credit has to be given to the hydraulic expertise of the Portuguese engineers who devised proper drainage systems linking the watersheds of Conception and Alto de Guimares hillocks to the estuary.
Between Gaundalim to Calapur, the original, extensive, swampy flood plain of Mandovi was systematically reclaimed by the Gaunkaris. But these unknown architects took extreme care to maintain a fine balance between the estuarine tidal flow and the monsoon storm water flow. All the area from the foot of the Conception hill to the Saint Ignes church was once part of the swampy, sandy palaeoshoreline.
The uniform soil horizon of shining black monazite placer sand deposits found in Calapur, Merces, Chimbel, Cujira, Durgavadi and upto Caranzalem indicate the extent of the ancient sandy beaches when the Mandovi's estuarine waterfront had enveloped the Althinho-Panaji, Taleigao, Bambolim and Cujira hills. The present waterfront of Panaji city is not the original, natural waterfront of the estuary.
It is just 130-years-old man-made, reclaimed and managed waterfront. The Ponte de Linhares causeway linking Panaji to Ribandar is actually a dam with 44 open gates. The Ourem creek and the Chimbel creek are the two major drainage arteries under this causeway. Both these creeks drain and deposit sediment and dirt from a semicircular area extending from Pato-Ribandar to Fontainhas, Mala and Conception hill. This area supports a dense population. All the landward storm water drains and their outlets have outfalls below the road level on Mandovi waterfront. These are visible from the river at low tide. There would be massive stagnation of water and flooding during the monsoon if these old drains and outfalls are closed with mud in any reclamation operation.
Mandovi is a vertically well-mixed estuary and fortunately it has immobilised disease causing bacteria in its sediments. Any disturbance of these sediments during dredging operations would cause dispersal of these pathogens with unpredictable long-term consequences. The key to Panaji's ecologically and environmentally sustainable future is efficient drainage and conservation of the riverfront and the watershed.
Government departments with poor understanding of the city's ecological history are experimenting and playing with the city's drainage system. Visit one of the wonderful spot of the city - the 'miniature dam' on the beach, just behind the Campal swimming pool, which the government erected to block the ancient outfall of the Bal Bhavan branch of Santa Inez nallah. During the construction of the Indoor stadium complex, a part of this nallah which diverges behind fire brigade headquarters was converted into a RCC box-type canal. It was a good decision for efficient drainage of Bhatulem-La Campala colony area and the rainwater on D B Bandodkar road.
During my school days, we used to catch fish in this nallah. Today it is dry and has become an eyesore - a garbage dump. With such sensitivity towards the city's drainage, now the government is in a haste to build some new and fancy structures close to the waterfront.
Those who are familiar with the coastal erosion history of Caranzalem and Youth hostel area would shudder to think the consequences of interfering with the waterfront in the upstream reaches of Mandovi. Water seeks its own level and a change in one area, under tidal influence is transmitted to another area in this peculiar estuarine island ecosystem. But who understands Tiswadi as an island ecosystem and Panaji as an island city?
But ignoring this fact would be a grave planning error. Its implications would be realised during the monsoon when flooding would be reported from areas which had been traditionally dry. Dredging does not automatically solve any existing problem, except removal of the sediment and deepening of the channel. The Aguada sand bar is the major bottleneck which influences the flooding of low-lying parts of Panaji at high tides. All rivers change their courses unpredictably over a period of time. We don't know when and how the Mandovi would do that. Already the estuarine zone is truncated. The flood plain is getting speedily and actively reclaimed. The sediment flow is three lakh tonne per year.
From a scenic rocky cliff behind the Aguada light house, one could see the reddish brown plume of sediment which the estuary discharges in the Aguada bay. European cities have paid a very heavy price after flood plain reclamation and waterfront modifications. We do not need anti-flooding embankments to save Panaji in future. It is sufficient if we understand that any development on the waterfront or in the channel has to be integrated within the estuarine island ecosystems' hydro-ecological matrix. I am personally highly skeptical about the ability of government contractors to understand these finer points.
The regulatory authorities also do not wish to confront the planners with their genuine anxieties and the ecological consultants like NIO have no mandate to go beyond a point to impose their recommendations.
The agrarian economies of Divar and Chorao islands lost more than Rs 40 crore in 14 years because there was a bottleneck effect after dumping of the heavy constructional debris of the demolished old Nehru bridge opposite the Secretariat and at other places on the waterfront. Both the islands witnessed consistent and severe episodes of breaching of the bunds after 1990 because tidal amplitude and circulation had altered.
NIO had admitted its ignorance of such events in July 2000 report (NIO/SP-1/2000). The report said, ".. apart from the general studies undertaken by the NIO in the past, information related to the ecology of the Mandovi estuary, in general and its stretches from Malim to Aguada in particular was rather scanty".
The picture has not changed much in 2004 but the government seems to be determined to modify the Panaji waterfront with the supreme confidence that this ecological gamble would pay off handsomely during the proposed IFFI.
This is not our idea of sustainable development of the ecologically fragile island city of Panaji. Ultimately the common citizens may pay the price. ----------------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 12/4/04 page 10 ----------------------------------------------
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