Members of five fishermen groups have laid down a list of demands on the table of the Mormugao Deputy Collector, after holding a protest rally which started in Baina. This list of demands has been a long time coming, especially since the demolition drive in Baina has stirred up a lot of emotions.
The eight point memorandum has a few key demands. The fishermen need to build temporary sheds where they can house their canoes and also conduct repairs of the boats and their nets. This is a reasonable demand. The key word in their demand is ‘temporary’. If they themselves are not asking for something permanent, then there is absolutely no harm in agreeing to this.
The primary one is the rehabilitation of fishermen whose structures have been demolished or are about to be. This makes complete sense. These fishermen have been residing in the area for generations and shouldn’t be left high and dry. If the government wishes to demolish structures in accordance with CRZ rules, then they should also take on the responsibility of rehabilitating the residents or compensating them. That they be given housing somewhere close by is a given. It wouldn’t be fair or right to displace them completely.
With regards to the demolition of the supposed ‘illegal’ structures in Baina, the government has indulged in a bit of double speak. On one hand they demolish a large number of structures that do not comply with the rules but then allow the building of concrete structures in a no development zone by a government authority. Is this also a violation of the same rules that warranted the demolition of the houses? If there is a distinction or an exception to the rules, then the government needs to be transparent about it.
However, there needs to be a proper survey done to establish whether all of these residents are actually residing in the houses. As is the case in many parts of Goa, many leave old houses and sublet them, while they move to better housing elsewhere. Rehabilitation is a necessity but there has to be some amount of caution on the part of the government to do so for those who deserve it.
At the end of the day, there is a need to maintain a clutter-free coastline, in order to protect it from erosion and other natural disasters. If the government wishes to enforce those rules then they have the mandate to do so, but human livelihood cannot be disregarded here. If the government can make promises of regularising illegal structures elsewhere in Goa, that too from new residents of the State, then how can it ignore the pleas of local Goans in a similar situation?
