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Goa fishermen resist Singhania s water sports project
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Devika Sequeira, DH News Service,
Raymonds tycoon Gautam Singhania s ambitious plan to run
one of the biggest water sports facilities and yachting institutes
on Coco Beach in Goa has run into a tide of protests from local
fishermen, who view the move as a blatant encroachment on
their traditional livelihood.
The company has now been asked to look for an alternative location
by the state s Tourism Minister Micky Pacheco who had to intervene
to defuse tension in the area this morning. There is no way I can
accept the situation when people s traditional livelihood
is threatened, Mr Pacheco said.
The standoff between the Raymonds facility at Nerul, across the river
from Panjim, and the fishing village has been growing for over
a month, after the company began to test-run its water sports
equipment. It took an ugly turn yesterday when villagers off loaded
their anger on some staff and equipment of the Coco Club.
Though Singhania representative S Vohra claimed that Raymonds
had spent Rs 2.5 crore and committed another Rs 5 crore on the project,
the company has not acquired a single state government licence
to operate it. Even Mr Pacheco confirmed this. According to Nerul
Sarpanch Shashikala Govekar, the company s application was
unanimously turned down by the panchayat.
It is not our intention to use any motorised equipment that will affect
traditional fishing. Our institute is basically equipped with kayaks,
sail boats and inflatable rafts, Mr Vohra said.
But the local fishermen insist that five water skis had already been
in operation, despite their numerous protests to the Tourism
Department and the captain of ports. The irate crowd of protesters
most of them from the Ramponkar (traditional fishermen) community
gathered on the picturesque Coco Beach this morning,
said that under no circumstances would the project be allowed.
Nerul, a traditional fishing and agrarian hamlet, is the latest example
of the conflict of interests between an intrusive tourism and an
older way of life. In fact protests were also lodged today against
beer tycoon and MP Vijay Mallya s swanky yacht anchored just off
Coco Beach. A number of fishing boats have had their nets ripped
on the yacht s anchor, the fishermen complained.
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Deccan Herald, January 23, 2003
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