Chicalim and surrounding villages have a problem on their hands. The Chowgule group, which owns sufficient land along the bank of the Zuari river, in February forwarded a proposal to the State government to relocate all five offshore casinos to an area in the river off Chicalim. The proposal stated that the area was large enough to anchor up to 12 casinos and since the jetty would be constructed on land owned by them, there should not be any objection.
On paper, this seemed like a sound solution to the offshore casino problem. The reality is of course quite different because casinos are not just ships anchored in the water. They bring a large ecosystem which impacts the area. Casinos might be good for business and creation of jobs, but let us not forget that gambling is a vice and a lot of other vices get attached to this form of entertainment. The moot question for residents of Chicalim and surrounding areas is, do you want such kind of development?
Minister for Science and Technology Alina Saldanha has spoken out against shifting the casinos to the Zuari. Alina was vociferous in opposing a plan to build marinas at Nauxi and Sancoale. It cost her, her job as forest and environment minister, but this downgrade has not dimmed her commitment to keeping the Zuari free of encroachments. She is the only minister to oppose the plan to shift offshore casinos to the Zuari, a stand that is likely to find resonance with the people.
The Chicalim Villagers Action Committee (CVAC), which successfully opposed a plan to construct a shipyard as the same location 11 years ago, has expressed its opposition to the proposal and a meeting is planned on Sunday to formalize its plan of action.
Offshore casinos have been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Although they provide direct jobs to a large number of youth and indirect employment to taxi owners and city hotels, the presence of the casinos off Chicalim will change the complexion of the village and surrounding areas in the long run. For starters, vehicular traffic on this route will increase. Disturbances during the night will become commonplace. If there is not enough space for parking, vehicles will be left stationary along the road. Traffic congestion is a possibility which people in the area must consider before lending their support. Also, growth in number of casinos will induce similar growth on the land. Smaller hotels will mushroom to take care of accommodation of casino staff. Illegal constructions will proliferate for the same reason. And Chicalim will never be the same again. Since development in Goa is always unplanned, residents of Chicalim will have to carefully consider the pros and cons before taking the plunge.
On the other hand, casinos cannot be wished away. A lot of investment has been made by businessmen and a lot of jobs are at stake. But overt support, as is being provided by the government, is not a solution either. Since casinos are already viewed as a problem, transferring this problem to the Zuari does not solve the issue. Ideally, the government should work towards gradually reducing the number of offshore casinos and rewrite its tourism policy. The focus must move away from gambling, alcohol, drugs and prostitution and family tourism must be put at the centre of the plan.
