A senior national television journalist in an informal interaction in Goa highlighted that an increasing number of industrialists and businessmen from Delhi are buying second homes in Goa because the capital is not liveable anymore. While it is understandable that Delhi is grappling with major environmental hazards since pollution levels are consistently rising, the fact that Goa is fast becoming home to the creamy layer of Delhi could be a subject of critical debate.
For all the bad publicity it has been getting for the tourism it is selling and for being labelled a haven for drugs, gambling and sex, Goa is still the most favoured destination for Delhiites and many others from north India. Independent bungalows and villas along the prime locales of the northern coast of the State have become their second homes. A cursory glance reveals that big projects in Reis Magos, Dona Paula, Assagao and a significant portion of the northern coastal belt have been taken.
The visiting journalist was candid enough to explain why Goa became the obvious choice and why he was ready to bet big on Goa. True to his idea of Goa, the development story holds tremendous scope. While citing an infrastructure upgrade happening, he said Goa has massive potential for growth and even pointed out that the network has been improving. In an era where connectivity is directly linked to productivity, Goa has emerged as the ideal location to propel any business plan or a work-from-home idea. From a tourists' perspective, Goa remains the idyllic location where work, business and vacation can be in complete sync.
However, for the niz Goenkar, there are reasons to worry. Goa is witnessing a colossal change to its landscape. On Monday, the first commercial aircraft landed and took off from the GMR Goa International Airport at Mopa, signalling yet another new beginning. The area around the airport is undergoing a metamorphosis with large tracts of land brought by real estate giants and business houses that are going to cater to high-end visitors. The extensive development that Goa is witnessing has helped woo people from everywhere but has come at a considerable cost, with the State losing its vibe and unique identity in the process, and nobody is vocal for the local.
The viewpoint of this visiting Delhi journo that there has to be a measured and sustainable development holds merit, but in Goa, these have been vague yardsticks that the government has been quantifying on its own whims. The save soil initiative, however, comes as a pleasant surprise. Goa cannot ignore the priceless environment that defines the State to make way for development, and this was well defined in the discourse of spiritual leader Sadhguru during his recent visit. The argument gets complex when one begins to quantify sustainable development and the damage it is inflicting on the environment.
Goa has been home to many. People across India have set up homes, and Delhi is moving in. The influx of the high and affluent making Goa their permanent residence will undoubtedly change the socio-economic equilibrium of the State, and that is what needs a broader debate.
