World famous for the Vagator beach, Siolim is also the gateway for other popular beaches in the North like Morjim, Ashvem and Arambol.
With the influx of tourists vehicular traffic in the village has increased manifold, but the road infrastructure has not kept pace with the flow.
Narrow roads and equally poorly managed key intersections, irregular water and power supply, poor phone and internet connectivity and garbage have been a bane for locals and the visitors (read tourists) alike in the constituency.
The situation turns much worse in the interiors of the village. For close to two decades, Water Resources and Art and Culture Minister and local MLA Dayanand Mandrekar has presided over the destiny of Siolim constituency. The minister has kept a section of the electorate happy by extending a host of government-sponsored schemes and offering job opportunities to some.
In the name of development, he has carried out some beautification works and built retaining walls along the coastline. “More than Rs 100 crore has been spent in my constituency for development in the last four-and-half years. We have ensured maximum people took advantage of various State government schemes like Griha Adhar, DSSS etc,” Mandrekar boasted.
To be fair, the minister gets the credit for beautification of a lake near the Anjuna Panachayat, an open space near the St Anthony’s Church in Siolim and a market shed at Marna. But this too has fallen far short of expectations, as only fish vendors have been accommodated in the market, while the vegetable vendors are left to fend for themselves by the roadside.
He was also instrumental in building a retaining wall along the Anjuna coastline to save some shops from the dangers of sand erosion. Retaining walls have also been built to prevent sea water from entering the agricultural lands during the high tide.
But the common man on the street is not impressed.
Roads, water and power
supply
For locals in Assagao, the basic necessities of proper roads, regular water and power supply come at a premium.
For the last 10 years, the condition of the main road from DMC College, Assagao to Anjuna has been in a pitiable state. The government has failed to repair the road despite it being the only road linking Mapusa town to the famous Vagator beach.
Locals in the area have complained of massive power fluctuation and frequent power failures in the village. Water supply has also been irregular in the locality.
“Citizens in Badem do not get proper water supply. There’s power failure almost every day,” said Owen Braganza, a local from Assagao. “The state of the roads is pathetic. The main stretch from Assagao to Anjuna has not been repaired for ages,” he added.
He said several appeals to the administration and the local panchayat have fallen on deaf ears.
“We had requested the panchayat and the administration to put signboards showing directions along the roads. Tourists stop vehicles in the middle of the road and ask for directions,” he said.
Locals of Sodiem face similar problem of bad roads and erratic power and water supply. Pathetic public transport only adds to their woes. “There’s not a single Kadamba bus plying on our roads, leaving us at the mercy of irresponsible private bus operators,” a villager complained.
Illegal constructions
on the rise
Illegal constructions have been rampant in Marna and Sodiem with violators cocking a snook at the laws of the land.
The land sharks have not spared important ecological destinations in the village, with hill-cuttings taking place right under the eyes of the authorities.
From the conversion of terraced farming land into zones for residential and commercial complexes, to the destruction of mangroves and even eco-sensitive zones, the village today has been in the centre of illegalities under the cover of development.
Massive construction has been carried out on steep slopes by destroying vegetation. From destruction of water bodies to illegal hill-cutting, the destruction of mangroves and other CRZ violations, alert villagers have been filing complaints to ensure that projects which will endanger the environment and the ecology should not be allowed. But, all these complaints keep falling on deaf ears. “In the name of development construction projects are replacing green forest cover in Marna village,” said activist Fatima Fernandes, a resident of Marna.
Locals lose sleep over
drugs, rave parties
Tourism has its pitfalls and people leaving in the coastal belt are witness to the dark side of the tourism pie.
Drugs have been sold openly along the coast while loud music played at rave parties has robbed the peace of those who reside in Anjuna and Vagator.
Locals are irked that issues like illegal construction in the coastal belt in the name of tourism and drug menace have been going on under the watch and perhaps even the tutelage of the local politicians. “Can anyone deny the fact that Anjuna is a haven for drugs and rave parties? The local MLA appears oblivious to these illegalities giving unscrupulous elements a free hand to carry out
such unlawful activities,” a resident of Anjuna said.
Umesh Colvalkar, a teacher from Chapora, said, “During examinations our children cannot concentrate on their studies as shacks and restaurants on the beach front play music till the wee hours.”
Mega projects get thumbs down
The local MLA suffered a setback when his pet project of developing the Chapora Riverfront was stayed by the National Green Tribunal.
Some locals along the riverfront opposed the project stating that the government in the name of beautification of the riverfront was building a jetty with the intention of bringing casinos in the area.
These locals approached the NGT and were successful in getting a stay on the project, despite attempts by the government machinery to preempt the stay.
According to the MLA, the development of the riverfront was part of the beautification plan of the Chapora riverfront.
“This is a government project. It involves building the bandh as well as beautification. It is not my personal project, so I don’t have personal interest in it,” Mandrekar said. He denied that the project would be used to dock casino boats, saying that the Chapora river is very shallow for this purpose.
