If ever the state needed a reminder over exactly how fragile the coast is and why exactly the laws like the Coastal Regulation Zone are important, the recent events in the state have provided it.
And this, when the water levels increased only marginally from their usual levels on account of the double blow of Cyclone Ockhi's swells coinciding with the spring tides.
Make no mistake, an unusually high tide is an annual phenomenon that occurs around this time of the year when the moon is at its closest point to earth in its elliptical orbit. The only difference this time around, was that it came along with a change in wind direction that caused greater swells.
It is no doubt spot on when scientists say that the extent of the calamity is man-made. Point being that, if there were no structures set up in the intertidal zone along the beach, there would be no damage.
But that, of course, is a puritanical position. There is no doubt that shacks are a significant portion of the local tourism economy, one that is reserved for Goans, though very many of them are illegally sublet to others. But that's a matter for another day.
Of concern today is the manner in which the authorities have colluded with the shack operators lobby to ensure that neither the number of shacks nor the number of beach beds is reduced, in effect reducing the beach to a pie that has been chopped and divided among the shack owners.
The beach carrying capacity report which was submitted to the Goa Government last year has been ignored and despite recommending the reduction in the number of shacks, the Tourism Department has continued with the same number of shacks, citing the grounds that the shacks are allocated for a period of three years and any change in number would need to be done only after the period which now ends in 2019.
In effect, the beaches, which are only being replenished during the post-monsoon season and need time to recover and be replenished with sand after the battering and erosion they witness during the monsoons, are immediately stressed with human activity that interferes with the natural
processes.
It is these stressed and eroded beaches that have borne the brunt of the recent swells and storm surges. It is for this reason that the once wide beaches are today very narrow and yet contain the same amount of shacks.
It is of paramount importance that there be no shacks allowed to be set up on beaches that are stressed. Instead these beaches should be allowed a few years to recover and regain their sand dunes and width. Scientific studies should be respected and governments should not allow political lobbying to hold sway over the laws of nature.
And this, when the water levels increased only marginally from their usual levels on account of the double blow of Cyclone Ockhi's swells coinciding with the spring tides.
Make no mistake, an unusually high tide is an annual phenomenon that occurs around this time of the year when the moon is at its closest point to earth in its elliptical orbit. The only difference this time around, was that it came along with a change in wind direction that caused greater swells.
It is no doubt spot on when scientists say that the extent of the calamity is man-made. Point being that, if there were no structures set up in the intertidal zone along the beach, there would be no damage.
But that, of course, is a puritanical position. There is no doubt that shacks are a significant portion of the local tourism economy, one that is reserved for Goans, though very many of them are illegally sublet to others. But that's a matter for another day.
Of concern today is the manner in which the authorities have colluded with the shack operators lobby to ensure that neither the number of shacks nor the number of beach beds is reduced, in effect reducing the beach to a pie that has been chopped and divided among the shack owners.
The beach carrying capacity report which was submitted to the Goa Government last year has been ignored and despite recommending the reduction in the number of shacks, the Tourism Department has continued with the same number of shacks, citing the grounds that the shacks are allocated for a period of three years and any change in number would need to be done only after the period which now ends in 2019.
In effect, the beaches, which are only being replenished during the post-monsoon season and need time to recover and be replenished with sand after the battering and erosion they witness during the monsoons, are immediately stressed with human activity that interferes with the natural
processes.
It is these stressed and eroded beaches that have borne the brunt of the recent swells and storm surges. It is for this reason that the once wide beaches are today very narrow and yet contain the same amount of shacks.
It is of paramount importance that there be no shacks allowed to be set up on beaches that are stressed. Instead these beaches should be allowed a few years to recover and regain their sand dunes and width. Scientific studies should be respected and governments should not allow political lobbying to hold sway over the laws of nature.
