A few stray thoughts on a gloomy day after Goa Statehood Day My family was perhaps among the early repatriates to Goa in June 1962. Panjim of those days was not what it is now.
In those days, Panjim was a clean city. It was sparsely populated, the residents being few, but it had a large transient population of Government servants and workers in commercial houses. People came to Panim by ferry boat from Betim, by launch from Britona, Pomburpa, ecoxim and even Aldona. There were launch services from Divar, Chorao and Naroa. The incoming bus services were restricted to the island of Ilhas as it was too cumbersome to bring the buses across the ferry points. The buildings in Panjim too were interesting. They were mostly bungalows or ground plus one. It was only later on that the building boom started. Living in Panim was difficult because of the perennial mosquito problem. This was sorted out when Goa was connected to he national grid and there was 24 x 7 electricity. Prior to that electricity was available only for a few hours in the evenings from diesel generators. With steady electricity, people were able to install fans and this alleviated the mosquito problem. Incidentally, on a side note, in those days, elephantiasis was endemic in Betim. There was no sewage system to speak of. Those houses which had the space had Goa's great recycling machine, the piggy to take care of their excreta. Others plooped into a bucket or a kerosene tin which was then carried way by the scavenger on his/ her head. Perhaps BC who tom toms the great benefits the Portuguese brought to Goa was privileged to squat over a gold bucket. All the well developed places that we see in Panjim today, Miramar, Gaspar Dias, Dona Paula, Altinho, etc were hardly developed. Yes Panjim has seen 'deolopment', great deolopment today, but with it has come the filth, the squalour. the overcrowding, the slums, the casinos, the tourist boats, etc. -- Regards, Tony de Sa ♦Technical Editor ♦ Graphics ♦ IT Stuff ♦ DTP
