Fiddle while Rome burns.....(meaning to occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect priorities during a crisis.) ...I just joined goanet a week ago, and I have been amazed at the passion, energy and time spent discussing who is TRASH and who is not TRASH , when the biggest trash are our politicians and their policies or lack of them in Goa. If you all are such fervent Goenkars, it is about time you find out what is going on in the interior of Goa ....yes, there is more to Goa, much more than the beaches that have already been ruined by TRASH tourism... our real problem is that.somehow every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to want to become a miner now in Goa including some of the TRASH politicians. As a result, right now there are 825 concessions (not all yet active) for mining exploration in Goa, not to mention all the illegal mining that is going on without any control. When all these concessions become active, nearly 25% of Goa will be under mining exploration. Some of the concessions are within the boundaries of Nature Reserves and Animal Sanctuaries. Rice fields and wells are being destroyed and dried up systematically, forests are being cut, precious water tables are being polluted and emptied by the irresponsible mining process ....and I could go on, and on, and on.....we are witnessing the real destruction of Goa at an INDUSTRIAL scale....and you are worried that a few Brits are buying land in Goa? At least that land will not fall under the bulldozers of the mining industry, and you might have a few trees still standing in Goa if you are lucky! I hope more people buy the land to keep it green and look after it.
The impact of mining in Goa, one of the smallest states on India, is irreversible. There is a desert being created in the hearth of Goa, forested hills are being desmantled at great speed and village upon village is being ruined. We need to stop this violence against our people, our land, our villages, our rivers, our forests and our wildlife - and ultimately violence agains all Goans. We also need to make sure the miners follow the laws of the country and rehabilitate the land they destroyed (that is the law that no one respects). Are you willing to take on this cause? We need the support of every Goan in every corner of the world to support a campaign to control mining, review and cancell most of the concessions, stop mining in forested areas, and rehabilitate the land. If the miners want to keep making money, they will have to think of investing in a greener industry. Carmen Miranda