Dr. Ferdinando dos Reis Falcão wrote: > In respect to the letter “Nine questions on Mopa” (Herald 7 February), > I wish the writer would do a little of lateral thinking. > >1) Why do Goans or Goa need a 6 lane highway from North to South? > Would that not destroy and displace many ancestral homes besides > covering the earth with acres and acres of tarmac?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Ferdinando dos Reis Falcão, 21 years ago, I read an article in which the head of a Scandinavian aid agency in Tanzania was complaining bitterly about some villagers who had vandalized a drill rig. The agency was trying to develop an area by drilling wells for clean water and the agency got rewarded by villagers vandalizing the equipment. The newspaper reported that the villagers removed parts from the truck the drill rig was on. The truck/rig had drilled in two different spots but did not find water. The aid agency said that the rig was on a tight schedule and was going to move to the next village, when the incident occurred. The rest of the story got reported a week later. The villagers claimed that they had waited 10 years for the truck to arrive. They felt that if the truck left without hitting water, they would have to wait another 10 years for the next drill to arrive. So they removed the steering wheel and kept it in a safe place. Then they informed the drill foreman that they would release the steering only after the rig hit water. The chief/headman further said that without water, there would be no school or dispensary. The villagers were tired of trying to eek out a living by growing cassava on marginal land. They were tired of having to die of snake and insect bites. They were tired of their crops being eaten by wild animals. They were tired of being left out of progress. They wanted their children to have a better life. They wished for their children to work as clerks in an office. They knew that without infrastructure, they would remain without advancement. The six lane highway in Goa is the same story. The infrastructure will serve to introduce Goa to the 21st Century. Today, it takes two hours plus to drive from north to south Goa! It is also beyond sad to see people die because an ambulance takes 40 minutes to travel 20 miles on the current Goan roads. The lack of roads and transport makes life miserable in Goa. Mopa is another project that could bring Goa into the 21st Century. A transport hub usually provides endless economic opportunities. Any planer will tell you that without new infrastructure, it is extremely difficult to bring economic development into a region. When the transport facilities are not improved, the economy remains stagnant or even dies. Lastly, when I go on vacation to the Caribbean, I pay extra to be on a resort that is at least an hour away from the nearest airport. I just do not want to be disturbed by the sound of aircraft landing, taking off or flying over when I am relaxing on a beach. The hotels in south Goa should be the ones lobbying the hardest for the Mopa airport in the north. Mervyn
