As we sow, so shall we reap. If we carefully analyse the sociological, ecological and economic growth model adopted by the government in power both at the Centre and at the regional level, we would understandably realize that our adopted developmental models are totally skewed up unsustainably and at cross purposes to sustainability and holistic development of our nation as well as in contrast to our desire to promote a healthy society.
There are various issues before us, be it of agricultural growth, promotion of fisheries, optional harnessing of our tourism potentials, catalyzing the emergence of a healthy society, moving up Goa speedily in the era of information technology and exploiting the potentials of knowledge -based economy.
Also, addressing the concerns of the growing gap between the rich and the poor of Goa in particular and the unscientific promotion of the dole-based economy, which is killing the zeal and enthusiasm of those hard working Goans, who are perennially axed by taxes and cess, to fuel unjust welfare schemes like the Ladli Laxmi, which leaves the girl child more vulnerable - as crimes against women are growing alarmingly.
It would be utopian to expect me to cover all the salient features of the causes of farmers’ distress and suicides, rape and killing of women from the marginalized sections of our society, the nitty gritty aspect of unscientific growth of pollution causing industrial development, or tourism killing Goa with garbage, especially our forests, rural country side with mounds of wastes or even the sewage bomb, killing biodiversity.
There are plenty issues and a box full of challenges, which we Goans have swept under the carpet. In this article, I will take up only the factors that need to be addressed to make Goa a healthy destination for tourists as well as for the locals.
A healthy society is a wealthy society. A a research cum environmental field scientist, I have hundreds of research publications, popular articles and thesis of students on aspects of growing morbidity in the ecosystem and the deleterious effects of pollution eating into the growth of a healthy Goan society.
It is common knowledge that in Goa, life style diseases are growing alarmingly and thus diseases like diabetes, heart and brain strokes, kidney and pulmonary ailments which are not only debilitating individuals but also the economy of the society.
But let’s focus on the molecular features in the growth of oncogenesis in Goa. It is the wearer who knows where the shoes pinches, and having helped my wife battle cancer and lose, gives me the grace and fortitude to fight against the causes leading to cancer.
Since 2003 to date, I have been pursuing my desire that Goa should not only reduce the features leading to cancers but also ensure that cancer patients in Goa get a world class department of oncology.
Manohar Parrikar, our Chief Minister has agreed to boost expertise at Goa Medical College in the much desired Oncology Department. There is a saying “ prevention is better than cure.
Cancer treatment and cure require highly toxic and expensive chemotherapeutic drugs with multitude of side effects. These drugs are released over a period of six weeks, through the veins and the patient often feels uneasy, drowsiness, vomiting and umpteen physiological challenges.
As a scientist, I bat vociferously for measures to control cancers in Goa and will deal in detail about the carcinogenic effects of formalin in fish separately in my next article.
The main cause of cancer is pollution and undue challenges we put nature and our ecosystem through. Pollutants cause mutagenesis in DNA and the command system goes haywire. Why does the perfectly working body machinery go haywire and produce tumors in a haphazard manner?
In simple terms, the mega factory breaks down for several reasons. At various levels from the brain, to the organs, there is a command system at play. When the command system breaks down, wrong proteins may be produced by faulty messages from the DNA.
Why? Because we are clouding, smoking and abusing the physiological processes. It could be by pesticides, dyes, aldehydes, aromatic chemicals, heavy metals like those released from coal dust, chemical sprays or partly degraded plastics.
We pay the price with rising incidences of cancer.
And while nature rewards those who respect the ecosystem and the environment, nature also punishes society for its wayward ways. We must learn to live with nature and respect solar energy as the best form for human development.
Thanks to our vicious politicians we are all victims. Let’s work to curb pollution and control cancer and the wrath of nature by ushering in a revolution for a healthy Goa.
