-----------------------------------------------MARINAS IN GOA
In a statement appearing in Navhind Times dated 10.5.2015 and 11.5.2015 Alina, is stated to have said she is not opposed to establishment of marinas, but she does not want to have them, in the Sancoale Bay. The people of Goa are perplexed to know whether marinas are good for Goa except for Sancoale or in principle marinas are bad for the ecosystem and biodiversity of entire Goan coast. Alina being the Minister of Environment and Forest for Goa, she should think wisely about entirely Goan ecology & environment and not act as a Minister only of Sancoale and its surrounding. If you look to the entire Goan scenario the damage to Goan environment is grave, for instance St. Ines Creek today is an open sewer, the Saipem lake is full of coliform bacteria, the River Sal is slowly dying, the Mandovi river is a victim of the casinos menace, both environmentally as well as sociologically. It is not about Alina or Marina, it is about sustainable development of Goa. If Alina wants to oppose the marina complex at Sancoale, she has to conduct hard research though her biodiversity board which sadly is involved only in dogs, cats and snake shows through the services of Nitin Sawant who is the Member Secretary of the board. I understand that Umanji Chowgule has submitted an environmental impact assessment on his marina project called “Yacht Haven” conducted by National Institute of Oceanography, as well as a terrestrial environmental report from a consulting firm Aditya Environmental Services Pvt Ltd (AESPL) based in Mumbai. Having gone through the NIO reports as well as marina assessment report and having worked in this Institution , I can say the Biodiversity Board under the Chairmanship of Alina should carry out another environment ( EIA) studies to counter the comments made by above two consultants. In Goa, we require sustainable development and the generation employment, taking into account the needs of clean environment and rich biodiversity. Why haven’t the members of the Biodiversity board officially visited the Sancoale Bay? Just shooting down marinas without concrete scientific research and by scientific rabble of the justification given by NIO and Aditya Consultants would be counter productive. It is good to take the views of fishermen community and ensure their development and protect their livelihood. NIO report has looked into this aspect, and it would augur well if the Goa Government constitutes a team of scientists, environmentalists in the field of fisheries, pollution etc to study both the reports and suggest remedial measures so as to understand the implications of marinas in Goa in general and not restrict to vested interest of a particular minister. What is sauce for the goose is the sauce for the gander and therefore marinas if are to be set up anywhere in Goa, then Sancoale Bay should not be given preference, as selfish window pane oysters and other biological species are endemic throughout the coast of Goa and not exclusive to any specific region. We must also understand that Umanji Chowgule has selected Sancoale Bay keeping in mind all these factors and surely he would have justification for choosing this place. It would be in the fitness of things that Parsekar Government studies the fragility of the entire Goan coast to projects like marinas, casinos, floating hotels, trawlers, bridges, recent hill cutting at Avedem ( Quepem ) , Canacona, Baga ( Retreat House) etc on the health of Goan rivers and not venture to protect only a single bay at the cost of entire Goa and its development. Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) under Chairmanship of Alina should be dissolved and revamped by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar as it has done nothing to protect the environment. The faster the CM acts to reconstitute the GSBB the better it is for the Goa and Goans as the Board has failed miserably to fulfill its mandate. Stephen Dias --------------------------