Environment is clearly a map of our everyday world. In Goa, its eco system, which combines, hills forests and the ocean, is challenged on various fronts. This essay is a snapshot of Goa’s main talking points and what we need to fix
Goa is the smallest state of the Indian Union with an areaof 0.11 per cent of the total geographical area of the country, yet theminiature state has five wildlife sanctuaries, one bird sanctuary, one nationalpark and about 13 west river systems. The state is known for rare ecosystemssuch as the wetland ecosystem, beach ecosystem, sand dune ecosystem, forestecosystem, mangrove ecosystem, estuarine ecosystem and so on. These are some ofthe advantages of Goa, which no other small state has.
Tourism: Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Goa,which provides employment opportunities to a large number of people, whileputting tremendous pressure on Goa’s limited resources. As per the 2011 Census,the total population of Goa is 14, 57,723 whereas more than 27 lakh touristsvisited Goa in 2011. It means that thefloating population of Goa is three times more than its actual population. Wehave hardly created any infrastructure to support Goa’s growing tourism sector.It is high time we introspected and found out what the carrying capacity of ourbeaches is and where our tourism is going. There is also a need to conduct atourism audit to find out it’s worth for Goa in the light of low qualityforeign and domestic tourists.
CRZ Violations: The primary objective of ‘Coastal RegulationZone Notification’ is to protect and improve the coastal environment byrestricting and regulating human activities on the coast. As per the guidelinesof the CRZ, anthropogenic activities are not permitted within 500 meters from‘High Tide Line’. This law is vital for the survival of coastal states. In Goa,one can see widespread violations of CRZ norms. At the time of implementation of this notification, there were 5251structures within 500 metres from HTL. In the year 2006, the number of suchstructures increased to 9804. This means 4553 structures were illegallyconstructed in ecologically sensitive areas ranging from Terekhol in the northto Polem in the south. The shacks erected on the beaches and sand dunes alsoviolate CRZ norms.
Beach Erosion: Due to typical geography, geology and humaninterference, Goan beaches are subjected to large scale erosion. In the age ofglobal warming, the rate of erosion will be further altered. Land is a preciouscommodity in Goa. The sea has alreadyeaten away at hundreds of square meters of valuable land in all the coastaltalukas, which is the main source of livelihood for the coastal communities.
Solid Waste: This is another major headache for Goa. Apartfrom every Goan, every tourist also creates garbage. It is already pointed outthat our floating tourist population is three times more than the actualpopulation. 13 Municipalities in Goa generate approximately 50 metric tonnes ofgarbage. Our rural areas also produce mountains of garbage. There is no accountof how much garbage is generated by tourism. Before it is too late, we need tofind an answer to this problem.
Destruction of Mangroves: This is another importantecosystem which has protected us from the onslaught of the sea. For want ofland, more mangrove areas are reclaimed. Such behaviour is hazardous for Goa.
Hill Cutting: Due to geographical limitations, tourism andlarge scale urbanisation, hill cutting is on the rise. As a result of hillcutting; landslides, rock falls and mud slides are on the rise in Goa.
Threats to wetlands: coastal low lying saline land: Coastalareas are protected by the wetlands. They act as buffer zones between the seaand the land. In different parts of Goa, large tracks of lands have beenreclaimed for development. Unfortunately, we are out to destroy them in thename of development.
Unsustainable Mining: There is a debate on legal mining andillegal mining. Ecologically speaking, It is responsible for large scaledeforestation, land degradation, groundwater pollution, surface waterpollution, dust pollution, damage to beaches etc. Hence, make Goa as Goa was,all of us have to think out of the box and decide what is good for Goa and whatGoa needs for a better tomorrow.
One of the finest of Goa’s devil’s advocates on environmentalmatters, Dr. F. M. Nadaf completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Geography. AnAssociate Professor of Geography from the virgin and sylvan surroundings ofCanacona. Dr. Nadaf who is officiating Principal at Shree Mallikarjun Collegehas co-authored Six Dictionaries on Environmental Science, wrote a Text Book onEnvironmental Studies and a technical report on Canacona Disaster. Recently,his co-authored book Canacona – the Last Frontier was launched at Goa Arts& Literary Festival 2012.
