ELVIDIO MIRANDA via email
The rustic charm of our villages is what casts its magical spell, drawing people to these abodes, especially on weekends, with the greenery and the abundance of biodiversity making their weekends special after the hectic grind of an energy-sapping week. The 56 villages which have been sought to be urbanised should never become the haunt of real estate sharks seeking to convert every hillside, field and valley into concrete jungles that will strike at the very heart of their rustic allure and turn these villages into urbanised spaces merely for the lure of lucre. Goa can be well on the way to recovery from disproportionate greying due to concretisation, and it should be the endeavour of every villager to protect their village identity from being sacrificed at the altar of so-called development that will definitely not benefit them. The villages support the traditional occupations of their residents and go a long way in protecting the environment, which our villagers are well versed in protecting since it is the very source of their livelihoods. Let Goa arise in one voice against the concretisation of our villages. All the village panchayats should reject the further concretisation of Goa and do their level best to maintain its traditional character, which is the bedrock of village life. This is one big chance for all those who hold Goa dear to arise and prevent the further destruction of village land, which is a natural investment for the people residing in these cherished villages. Enough is enough! Goans are the ones who will protect and tend to their villages, and let there be no dilution of our rustic identity.
