The people of Goa in recent times have been increasingly conscious of the fact that the State is slowly and steadily losing its green sheen. They are engaged in a constant war to protect its greenery. Much against this backdrop a green wave is beginning to show its first signs. There are moves to cover fallow comunidade land with greenery and fruit-bearing trees and there are unique seed-bombarding initiatives by NGOs.
An interesting step towards a Green Goa direction is the State government’s recent move to cover unused comunidade land. In this regard Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai took pride in announcing that the government will distribute around 50,000 fruit-bearing saplings of indigenous Goan species across all talukas during the monsoon. And PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar soon swung into action and went about distributing 1,500 such saplings in all the six panchayats of Marcaim constituency.
This looks to be a good start. But welcome to Mormugao, a place where ambitious plans are being drawn up by its Municipal Council to celebrate its centenary year. On the agenda are plans to plant 100 Goan fruit bearing saplings, restoration of heritage sites in the area and felicitation of 100 noted personalities from Vasco.
While the government is talking green, the municipal council is facing an uphill task to procure a few of these Goan fruit bearing saplings. The agriculture department has bluntly turned down the request for a paltry 100 saplings saying it is not in a position to provide any Goan fruit-bearing saplings to the MMC free of cost. On the contrary, the council is told to procure it from any government farms located at Margao, Kalay and Ela. The archaeology department too washed its hands off saying they have no old plans of Vasco city and that there is no scheme in place with the department for repair or renovation of old heritage houses.
Bear in mind, this request comes from a municipality which has its allegiances to the ruling BJP. And it comes from an area which is completely under BJP wings, since Milind Naik is BJP’s Mormugao MLA, Carlos Almeida BJP’s Vasco MLA, Mauvin Godinho BJP’s Dabolim MLA and Alina Saldanha is BJP’s Cortalim MLA. Let’s not even imagine a common man venturing out with a proposal of this nature.
At a time when politicos across the spectrum are talking about agriculture and green environment in all possible ways, turning down Mormugao municipal council’s request for a meagerly 100 saplings is a crying shame and defeats the very purpose of Green Goa ambitions.
When the Mormugao civic body approaches this landmark of a centenary, it’s not only the area or the constituency and the MLAs who should be proud of, but the entire State of Goa should rise to the occasion of commemorating this milestone. Making the Council run from pillar to post for their request and treating senior officers with scant respect is not in good taste.
