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Dear Editor,
It is a good sign that a
public debate is being carried on in the Press about whether Goa should
have another Airport at Mopa. Let us hope that those who are to make the
eventual decision on this issue will take into consideration the points of view
expressed in the Press.
The Goa Pradesh Congress
Committee has publicly stated that it prefers to upgrade the existing airport at
Dabolim to bring it on par with other international airports. However, it
remains ambivalent about another airport being constructed at Mopa.
The Travel and Tourism industry
seems to be strongly in favour of upgrading the existing airport at Dabolim,
although it is not averse to another international airport at Mopa.
The politicians, as usual, are
flying their kites to see which way the wind is blowing. They will make
their decisions - not on the merits of the case, but on what they can 'get out
of it'.
In the course of the public
dabate, one obvious factor, which is staring us in the face, somehow appears to
be missed. The citizens of Goa should ask themselves the very
pertinent question whether a small State like Goa really needs TWO international
airports. With a geographical area of approximtely 3,702 sq. kms. and a
population of approximately 1.5 million, will Goa be able to sustain two
very large international airports at the same time? Even assuming
that the capital costs of construction will come from the Central
Government, the Goa Government will have to provide the basic services of
electricity, water, transport, solid waste disposal etc. to maintain the
airports at an acceptable level. Given the current sordid state of
affairs, where the Goa Government cannot even provide uninterrupted
electricity to its citizens at a constant voltage; it cannot supply
uninterrupted water to the people; and it cannot manage the waste disposal
problem, it is fair to assume that the Goa government (of whatever
political predilection) will not be able to sustain even one international
airport, leave aside two ! Even the present airport at Dabolim
suffers from many severe limitations. It is highly inefficient, it is
frightfully dirty and it is off-putting to most travellers. Even with a
lot of financial inputs to upgrade the physical facilities, it will be
necessary to spend a lot of money on daily upkeep and maintenance.
It is highly doubtful that Goa can provide this.
It is normal, e.g. in Mumbai and
Delhi, that passengers are provided free commutes between the international and
the national terminals. Since Mopa is quite a distance away from
Dabolim, and assuming that one airport will be dedicated to international
traffic and the other to domestic flights, will the government be able to
provide similar free commutes between Mopa and Dabolim for international
travellers who wish to transfer to the domestic terminal?
The decision of the Goa Pradesh
Congress Committee appears to be a typical 'coffee table' decision arrived at
after a casual and cursory discussion of the subject. It is apparent
that no real thought has gone into the decision, and no expert opinion has been
sought before arriving at such an important conclusion.
The Rane government is notorious
for its inability to come to grips with any imporotant issue facing the citizens
of Goa. It simply refers the matter to the "High Command" and abides
by its decision. This is called government by
default.
Let us hope that this government
will take the bull by the horns, and, after soliciting expert
advice, arrive at a decision which will not impose any further burden on the
people of Goa. We have had enough of the skybus and the IFFI to last
us for a long time to come.
Yours faithfully,
Averthanus L. D'Souza,
D-13, La Marvel Colony,
Dona Paula, Goa 403 004.
Tel:
2453628. |
