**************************************************************** Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service & circulated by Goa Civic & Consumer Action Network (GOA CAN)<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ***************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Erosion on Anjuna beach poses danger to houses, businesses. By JOAQUIM FERNANDES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huge chunks of land of the sea-facing cliff at Anjuna beach have collapsed into the sea due to the relentless battering of sea waves. This phenomenon is threatening at least 5 residential cum business structures near the 20-metre high cliff located about 100 metres south of the Tourism department's restaurant, Paraiso do Anjuna. Roughly, a 100-metre stretch of the sea-facing cliff has been collapsing over the years, and the edge of the cliff has advanced inward so much, that now it is barely a metre and a half from the compound wall of Victor guest house. Also, huge cracks have appeared in the land at this point and two coconut trees are bound to fall into the sea in the near future. Some residents claim that over the years, about 5 foreigners have unknowingly fallen off the cliff into the sea at dusk and died. The streetlight near the cliff does not work, residents claim. Dr Mohan R Gurap, a project scientist in Geology with the Goa State Council of Science and Technology, Pilerne, who visited the site along with this reporter today morning, said that the erosion will continue unless measures are taken quickly. Dr Gurap explains that "the entire portion is a uniform landmass of gravely laterite with uniform mineral constituents." This means that the landmass is made up of small pebbles and the open spaces are filled up with fine material like silt or clay. Due to the wave action, the fine material gets washed away and the land collapses. As a means to stop this continuous caving in, Dr Gurap suggests the construction of an L-shaped dam-like structure facing the sea along the 100-metre long cliff. He says that the horizontal should stretch upto the low tide level and slope upwards to cut the impact of the waves. The height, he says, should extend a little over the cliff height. But Dr Gurap admits that this "mini-dam" is going to be very expensive. As an alternative, he suggests the placing of concrete wave breakers into the sea. Local MLA and Agriculture Minister, Mr Dayanand Mandrekar, is aware of the problem and of the prohibitive cost in solving the problem. But in a telling comment, he hinted that it might not be feasible for the government to spend crores of rupees in saving structures that violate CRZ guidelines. He also said that the affected people have never informed him of the problem. He claims that about 18 months ago, he had taken the former Tourism Minister, Mr Felipe Neri Rodrigues to the site. But there has been no follow-up. The land belongs to the Tourism department and on the portion of the land that has collapsed into the sea, the department's fencing posts are visible. They have put new posts along the edge of the cliff but many of these have rusted and broken. When contacted today morning, Director of Tourism, Mr Suryanarayan, seemed unaware of the problem. "This is news to me!" he exclaimed. A former panch member, Mr Hanuman Govekar, who resides on the cliff-edge and also runs a bar and restaurant in the front portion of his house, says that the land has been collapsing for decades. Pointing to some rocks about 25 metres into the sea, he says that earlier the land stretched upto that point. But over the years, the sea has claimed all that land and is now threatening their houses and businesses. At least 5 residences cum businesses are in danger; Hanuman Bar and Restaurant, Sea Rock Bar and Restaurant, Fernandes Bar and Restaurant, Gold Star Bar and Restaurant and Victor Guest House. According to residents, the matter had also been brought to the notice of former chief minister, Mr Pratapsing Rane who visited the site along with the then-MLA, Mr Chandrakant Chodankar sometime prior to 1999. With a perceived huge expenditure at stake and no one to pursue the matter, the sea appears set to change the face of Anjuna beach completely. -------------------------------------------------- THE NAVHIND TIMES 11/7/02 page 1 -------------------------------------------------- ======================================= GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE Documentation + Education + Solidarity 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 Tel: 252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy ======================================= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
