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DREDGING RIVER SAL
By Ervell Menezes
During the shooting of The Sea Wolves in 1981 British actor Jack Watson had
warned me against saturation tourism. Dont let this beautiful place become
like the Costa Brava in Spain, he said and explained how the Spanish
Meditteranean coast was invaded by clusters of hotels. Twenty-five years on
his words ring true in our years.
The dredging of the River Sal and the induction of a casino ship has snowballed
into a major issue. So is the setting up of 12 bungalows at Mobor in total
violation of the CRZ regulations. The local fishermen have decided to oppose
it, irrespective of the Luizinho Faleiro-Churchill Alemao blame game that is
already on.
When the government had first planned to dredge the river in 1998-99, we
opposed it tooth and nail and got the plan scrapped, Chairman of the AVCB
Traditional Fishermen Association Elvin DSilva is believed to have said. Now
we are determined to oppose dredging of the river and the casino boat, he went
on. There is a difference between small-time dredging and big dredging and what
is envisaged on the River Sal is big Mormugao-type dredging apparently to bring
in the casino vessel. Another point being raised is can off-shore casinos
operate while docked. These issues must be clearly spelt out and enforced.
But the high-handedness of the Leela Beach Resort has been legion even as far
back as two decades when sand dunes were demolished to set up the hotel. That
the local MLAs have benefited has been inferred and with good reason. Of course
the crumbs have been thrown to the small fry, like the cabbies and small
shop-keepers and the dissenting voices, if any, were taken care of. This has
been true too of other objectionable projects. It is buying out the
dissenters.
Now with the recent toppling bid of the Digambar Kamat Government last month,
the locals have rather belatedly seen through their chameleon-like politicians.
That tourism is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways is known to most,
except probably the Goans. Like Rip Van Winkle they have slept for too long. Is
it too late to wake up or better late than never?
The dredging has been stalled and the problem referred to the National
Institute of Oceanography. How Chief Minister Kamat deals with it remains to be
seen. And he is likely to face more issues. But he must be able to take the
common man or the aggrieved into confidence and deal with his erring
Congressmen justly. It is a tight-rope walk for him and he needs the guile and
expertise of a trapeze artiste.
The allegation by Utt Goenkara spokesman Aires Rodrigues that Viswajit Rane
called him on his mobile and threatened to shoot him is another niggling
issue. What Rodrigues should have done was record the conversation. There are
facilities for this I have been told. That would have been more conclusive
evidence. But irrespective of the validity of the claim, the point one is
making is that the Chief Minister must clear the augean stables in his party.
And dont we all know that there are a number of suspect Congressmen.
Similarly he could probe the 2011 Regional Plan architects and bring the
offenders to book. But that would men treading on thin ice. He could easily
fall through if he is not judicious enough.
For starters Kamat should give evidence of his administrative skills but above
all he has to be fair-minded. What few Chief Ministers of Goa have done in the
past is do what they said they would do and this could be because of the wide
gap that has grown between promise and fulfillment, between having laws and
exercising them, between opportunism and integrity.
Could he be amongst the first to do so. To take the bull by the horns. The
only way out is to keep a right balance between the vigilante groups like the
Goa Bachao Abihayan (GBA) and the entrepreneurs. Not only must one be just but
also convince both sides, the doers and the objectors, that what is being done
is in the greater interests of the place. It is no cakewalk but it is
certainly worth trying. They say, the best way to keep ones job is by
sticking ones neck out. So, may be you could just give that a try, Mr Kamat.
Now with the recent toppling bid of the Digambar Kamat Government last month,
the locals have rather belatedly seen through their chameleon-like politicians.
That tourism is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways is known to most,
except probably the Goans. Like Rip Van Winkle they have slept for too long. Is
it too late to wake up or better late
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