----- Original Message ----- From: "Goa Desc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 9:42 PM Subject: [Goanet]Save Goa's Ecology from IFFI related destruction
Preserving Goa's Ecology ---------------------------------- Around the same time last year there was a lot of heartburn in Goa when Karnataka had just threatened to build a dam on the upper reaches of the Mhadei to provide drinking water to its northern parts. However, this year it seems that the Mhadei as it flows down into the sea at Panaji is no longer important for the ecology of Goa. Two projects undertaken by the present government are going to do great damage to the river. The first is the extension of the Ribandar-Patto bridge by filling up the river bed adjacent to the old Patto bridge. The impact of this on the water flow in the Mandovi, the siltation likely and the effect it would have on the mangrove and other vegetations apart from allowing free flow of the water coming to the river from the Chimbel channel is something that should have been studied. The second equally disastrous project that the government has embarked upon is appropriating some 15 meters of the river bed area stretching from the new Patto Bridge in Panaji upto the Captain of Ports jetty, and maybe a little beyond. Experts have commented that just dumping the debris of the old collapsed bridge in the river just before the Secretariat has resulted in major ecological changes due to the changes in the water flow and siltation patterns even as far upstream as Chorao and upto Divar island and also has clogged storm water drains discharging into the river in the Campal area. Therefore one can imagine what the 15-mt reclamation would do to the flow of the river and the ecological damage in the Mandovi estuary. The other important thing is that the Mandovi is an important channel for barges carrying bulk iron ore which access needs to be ensured by adequate water flow in the river. The channel of the Mandovi already narrowing down by siltation will be further constricted by this latest reclamation ultimately leading to the river deteriorating into a canal. For posterity by the middle of this century we can exhibit the Mandovi canal courtesy of the depredations of present humankind for the sake of converting Panaji into a 'European' city for the IFFI. It is not clear as to why the river is being played around which would have helped carry bulk cargo. If the same was transported by road, it would have contributed to increased pollution, congestion, accidents rate nuisance to the people of Goa. So it seems yet another case of misguided priorities wherein the analogy that comes to mind is that of a spoilt child breaking his toys and loudly announcing that no one can question him since the toys are rightfully his and he can do what he wants with them. May God help Goa! S KAMAT, Porvorim in a letter to the Editor COMMENTS: With due respect to Srinivas Kamat, as much as he may think that the IFFI and the associated projects including the damage to the Mandovi river's ecology is another case of misguided priorities, I beg to differ in calling it the misguided priorities. As far as Manohar Parrikar is concerned, these are very much guided priorities for the following reasons:- 1. Captain of Ports, Captain Mascarenhas was dislodged from his post for fickle reasons to make way for a person who is not a sea captain and does not know anything about marine affairs. Why? A preplanned move. Captain Mascarenhas would have certainly objected to what is going on. Whereas Elvis Gomes, the present acting Captain of Ports cannot object as he is not expected to know anything about marine affairs. 2. We are aware, from the newspaper reports that one Mr.T. Roy, a BJP member from West Bengal's RSS cadre compared Vajpayee to Hitler. His reasoning was that Hitler had made way for building of road networks and auto-bahns just like Vajpayee has cleared the 'Golden Quadrilateral in India". And the West Bengal CPI(M) member has retorted saying that Hitler built road networks for his Panzer divisions to overrun the Soviets. The question is who does Manohar Parrikar intend to squash, mutilate, maim and kill on this 4 lane Panjim auto-bahns? And why is this heavenly hurry? 3. We are all aware that Manohar Parrikar is a high-ranking think-tank of the RSS. It is rumored that the blue-prints of the Gujarat Genocide were prepared in Goa. This is quite plausible since Goa witnessed the VHP Bandh with unusual active support from the RSS and specially, Manohar Parrikar, Goa's CEO in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident. We also know that Vajpayee and Advani are hard-core RSS. The comparison of Vajpayee to Hitler by Mr. T. Roy of W. Bengal is not out of place. It is very well apparent that the "RSS's WORKING MANUAL" is none other than Hitler's Auto-Biography, the "MEIN KAMPF". And I have good reason to believe that Manohar Parrikar's pet reference book is just that. Why? 4. A 37 page well prepared and delivered 'Budget Speech by Goa's CEO Manohar Parrikar reeks of "Mein Kampf". If you refer to Page 536, second last para, first two lines of 'Mein Kampf" you will notice that Adolf Hitler has been particularly fond of the phrase " happiness and contentment of my people" . Manohar Parrikar's Budget Speech, page 2 "People First" says "I mean a life of happiness and contentment" . Similarly page 5, 1st para of the said speech says "... and directed towards creating an environment and enablement for the people of Goa to lead a life of happiness and contentment." Could it have been a freak coincidence? Can the charges that Manohar Parrikar is saffronizing the Government bureaucracy, and that he is behaving like a Gestapo be overlooked or disregarded? I have just returned from the Mapusa Friday market. And it does not look like his people are happy and contented. Throughout the market, the six meter roads meant for people to walk and shop are sold out to hawkers. And there is a limit to how much a market place can be loaded by hawkers, or a limit to spreading groceries and readymade garments in a market of the size of Mapusa Market with only a less than a meter strip for his people to walk and shop. If I had the opportunity to meet Manohar Parrikar in the Friday Mapusa market today, I would gladly strangle him with my own bare hands. And by God, that is the truth. 5. Many gullible citizens find Rajan Narayan's depicting of Manohar Parrikar as a Saluting Nazi in his "Goan Observer" as malicious. If anyone would check-out Manohar Parrikar's pockets or his desk drawers, one would probably find a copy of "Mein Kampf" displaying an eschewed Indianised "Nazi" insignia. If Manohar Parrikar thinks that the opposition to his Gestapo rule is limited to the conniving and the absolutely compromised Opposition politicians only, on whom he is holding the Nazi clamp, then he must think again. History is replete with examples of what happens to dictators or whoever, who think that they enjoy the confidence of the people and take them for granted. When he say "my people" he means only his RSS clan who he is so abundantly stuffing into the Government bureaucracy as if there is no tomorrow. His latest statement that the Church will be informed of the vacanciesin the Government is a total whitewash. We do not want Manohar Parrikar to mix Governance with Religion. Cheers, Floriano Lobo goasuraj. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
