If it’s a bottom-top model for development, then the meeting of prominent citizens called by the North Goa Planning and Development Authority chairman Michael Lobo to draw an outline development plan for the village of Calangute,
is a step in the right direction. Citizens who attended the meeting suggested construction of a water reservoir, multi- level parking facility, by-pass road from Sinquerim to Baga, parking area near St Alex Church, a drug rehabilitation centre and a transport zone for tourist vehicles. It’s a long list which will get longer as more meetings are held to elicit the views of residents.
Bottom-top development is the holy grail for those who root for greater public participation. The basis for this model is that the people, who are familiar with the area, know what is best for them. Also, involvement of people in the planning process
fits into the larger democratic principle. It might not always
result in the best plan, but once planners know what is expected
of them by the people they are in
a better position to fit the demands
into the development map.
On the other hand the last great
experiment with bottom-top planning
“ Regional Plan 2021, did not
turn out as expected. It took the
government of the day nearly four
years to complete the process and
when it did, the plan had more detractors than supporters. A
second process to correct and modify the plan was put into
action by the present government and when it is completed
the plan will be over 10 years in the making. That is the challenge
of bottom-top planning. It takes a long time and when
the general public is given the impression that it is in charge,
practically everybody wants a plan of his or her own.
The Candolim-Calangute-Baga stretch is Goa’s best known
tourism area. It is a contiguous area and it would be better
served by a comprehensive plan for the entire stretch. Hence,
it might make sense to separate the tourism areas and treat
them as a single hub. The requirements of residents could be
tackled separately. Of course there will be overlapping interests,
but that is part of the challenge. One thing that must be
noted is that the area is deteriorating and the chief cause for
this fall from grace is mass tourism. As the number of tourists
increase and spending goes down the area begins to get congested.
Number of cheap hotels and business outlets increase
which further congest the area. Lack of parking space makes
it worse.
This entire stretch needs to be re-invented. It is a happening
place, but the infrastructure is below par and will always remain
at this level because of the State’s over dependence on
mass tourism. While mass tourism creates business and job
opportunities for those at the lower end of the ladder it eventually
forces out higher-end tourism. This phenomenon is being
experienced in some parts of Baga and Calangute and there
is a possibility that Candolim will also succumb to the lure of
mass tourism.
For planning to have direction the MLA and the State need
to first formulate a few guiding principles which will upgrade
infrastructure and give the area a higher profile vis-Ã -vis the
international market. Every other plan or idea must flow from
this set of principles or else it will always be a race with infrastructure
trying to catch up with development.
