<An appalling decision to play upon a disaster to further one's own agenda. "365 days of calamity-free tourism"? Bollocks I say. The gods of tourism in Goa have forgotten the stormy monsoons.> [Gabriel de Figueiredo, Jan 4]
Have we forgotten the landslides during the monsoons on the Konkan railway which wrecked two trains in consecutive years? Ever since the trains on this route are running an hour or two behind schedule putting tourists to hardship. Of course, we all say, better late than never. But still. And then again, the idea that Goa was natural-calamity free for 150 years may be erroneous. In today's Times of India (Mmbai) there is an interview with a leading tsunami authority, a Indian born Canadian, who says there was a tsunami in the Arabian Sea on Nov 27, 1945 in which one of the waves rose to nearly 12 m. This tsunami affected the west coast of India from Gujarat all the way down to Karwar, including Goa. Only 300 people were killed, however. The Goa Tourism Dept should check out the facts (esp about the 100 years prior to the Arabian Sea tsunami) and "get with it" before coining what it thinks are clever slogans. As for the future, it is believed that a meteorite hit in the ocean could also cause a disastrous tsunami almost anywhere.
