A lot has been said and written about sustainable tourism, ecological degradation, and other environmental concerns. The Archdiocese of Goa has had a lot to say in the matter, both from the pulpits and in the press. So have a lot of lay people, FN for one.
However I have yet to see comments, either from the pulpit or in the press, on the Novenas in honour of St Francis Xavier, held in Old Goa (Velha Goa). Are these really "sustainable"? For over a week residents in and around this village are inconvenienced. (Fortunately the Bishop was caught in a traffic snarl on the feast day experienced what we experience through the Novena!. And, boy, did he gripe about it during his speech!). And after the Novena the stench and the smoke from burning garbage has to be experienced to be believed. Even today the place is littered with plastic bottles and cups and all manner of stuff. And there are boards proclaiming that the village is a plastic-free zone! While I appreciate that the Novena at Velha Goa is a source of income for the archdiocese, the authorities should consider toning it down to what it was before Vasco Rego, S.J. started it in its present form. Some argue that it is not the novenas which are a nuisance but the fair (from which the local self governing ears a lot). Of course they do not say that the fair is a consequence of the Novena. Fausto Dias, Velha Goa -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
