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Protect Goa's natural beauty
Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve
Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php
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A Bridge Too Far And Too Extravagant
When I first came to the Gulf some twenty odd years ago, there was a joke
making the rounds about a Gulf ruler who had visited Europe and America and was
very much impressed with their wonderful bridges, so he built an expensive and
long one in his Kingdom, an amazing architectural marvel but only to be
reminded, fantastic bridge but where is the river ? Not to make a fool of
himself the ruler then dredged the sea inland and under the bridge. This joke
was much older than 20 years but unfortunately we see the same thing happening
in Goa even today, we try to laugh at the mentality of others when our very own
do no better.
Today there an article on the news paper about the pathetic state of a Fire
Hydrant at the Mapuca market, in pathetic state it may be but the fire hydrant
is there but unfortunately no water and I am sure it is not feasible for our
authorities to dredge the sea to the fire hydrant, the Gulf ruler had the means
and the will to amend his mistake, but do our Authorities have the means and
even if they have the means do they have the will ?
Our Authorities have been laying foundation stones after foundation stones for
water pipe lines, sewerage projects, power stations, power lines only to find
the foundation stones buried in dung or anthills. Last few weeks Goans have
been subjected to extensive blackouts and power cuts, because of insufficient
power supply, not that it was any better during the normal days. We depend
wholly on Karnataka and Maharashtra for our power needs and the worst being the
planning and strategies of our power department, who display no clue of how and
what to do next ?
Our Government is thinking of viability of sea links when our normal bridges do
not survive a few years. Our Authorities do everything possible in assisting
mega housing projects when we have no enough water and electricity for our
present consumption and other normal needs. Our Authorities assist the
degradation of our natural resources through rampant and even open cast mining
when our water tables are fast receding. Our Authorities keep on distributing
water tanks to their favoured ones when our taps are dry most of the time. Our
Authorities do nothing to stop the annihilation and dissipation of our fertile
fields when we need agriculture to boom to support our ever growing
agricultural needs.
For any governance, to function and be effective it needs planning and
foresight, fortunately our lame government came up with a brilliant idea in the
form of RP, we certainly need a RP to plan, strategize and implement for the
all round development of the land and it's people but unfortunately there too
our Authorities have fallen way too short and their shortsightedness and
cockeyed perceptions were exposed when they put forward an anti people and anti
Goa RP which the people exposed and fought against and finally withdrawn but
unfortunately and surprisingly the newer "avtar" has even more anomalies than
the first, which amply shows the unwillingness of our Authorities to commit to
the will of the people and work for the betterment of Goa.
I would like to remind our Authorities that it is much easier to maintain and
regulate our resources than trying to mend them once they are destroyed, as it
will be futile. We should take care of our natural wealth and try to protect it
as much as we can. Our Authorities should certainly get their priorities right,
water, electricity, protection of our ecology and environment, education,
health, employment and infrastructure to go with the flow of our population,
should have been the main objectives of development through the RP and surely
not the ten meter runways in the villages and the destruction of our natural
wealth. The present RP certainly looks to be the bridge without a river under
it, only to be, a bridge too far and too extravagant for the good of the common
man !
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
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