Going back to July, when hundreds of people died in a disastrous landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad, worries among Goan residents and environmentalists are growing.
The Consequences Of Hill-Cutting In Goa?
Uncontrolled hill-cutting in the state is seen to have the potential to trigger such disastrous occurrences. Goa, a state noted for its distinct geography and abundant biodiversity in the Western Ghats, is seeing widespread devastation of its hills to make way for infrastructure and commercial enterprises.
Environmentalists are stepping up their efforts to stop what they refer to as “massive hill-cutting,” which is being fueled by government- and privately-led building projects.
The roughly 400 communities that makeup Goa have historically been vital to preserving these hills, many of which have religious significance. The surrounding populations have revered the hills for many generations, representing their spiritual and cultural heritage. However, the encroachment of infrastructure projects like new roads, trains, and residential buildings into these sacred sites is putting their veneration in jeopardy.
The Mining Industry And It’s Contribution To Goa’s Crisis
Goa’s mining industry has made a substantial contribution to the state’s escalating environmental crisis. Open fields and water bodies have been clogged by mining waste, poisoning water supplies and obliterating farmlands. About 350 sq km of forest regions in the Western Ghats have been affected by deforestation due to mining, endangering animals and biodiversity.
The tragedy in Wayanad has brought attention to the risks that Goa may face if its hills are chopped and modified in any way.
Because of the region’s terrain, which is quite similar to Wayanad’s, environmentalists claim that it is especially vulnerable to erosion and landslides. Situated in the Western Ghats, both areas share comparable soil types, particularly Laterite, which is well-known for its great water absorption capacity but also prone to erosion upon disturbance.
The History Of Landslides In Goa
The Federation of Rainbow Warriors’ General Secretary, Abhijit Prabhudessai, noted that Goa has already had multiple landslides this year. Three large landslides were reported in Khandepar village alone. He claims that the current hill-cutting originated in the 1990s while the Konkan Railway was being built, which resulted in massive land-filling and the erosion of the area’s natural slopes. Midway through the 2000s, this practice grew in popularity in spite of government pledges to stop it.
Prabhudessai bemoans the lack of success of government initiatives to curb hill-cutting as well. He claims that despite the fact that two flying squads were set up to keep an eye on and manage illicit activity, they are now mostly ineffectual.
Activists Buzz In
Avertino Miranda, a well-known activist and the organizer of the Goa Green Brigade, has expressed grave worries about how these actions may affect the environment.
Miranda draws attention to the damage being done to Goa’s biodiversity in addition to the danger of landslides. He contends that hill-cutting is endangering the state’s aquifers, local flora and fauna, and making the state’s water shortage worse. Miranda noted that “one-fourth of Goa is facing acute water scarcity,” pointing to the widespread use of illicit borewells that degrade subsurface water supplies.
These worries are shared by many residents, who feel ignored by development initiatives that put infrastructure and tourists above their means of subsistence. Miranda expressed general dissatisfaction with the existing system of government by saying, “Not even the colonial rulers have destroyed our state like the current dispensation.”
The Goan TCP Act
Recent changes to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, particularly Section 39A, which gives the chief town planner considerable power to modify regional and development plans, have made the problem worse.
Opponents contend that this shift places an excessive amount of authority in one office and permits land rezoning with little control. Protesters think that this is a ploy to expedite business endeavors, avoiding the close examination that these kinds of undertakings usually need.
Prabhudessai and other activists underscore that these advancements are incredibly naive and have the potential to permanently harm Goa’s natural ecosystems. They make the point that unrestrained buildings might result in a decline in biodiversity, a rise in pollution, and a lack of water. Moreover, they contend that local communities and environmental specialists are being excluded from the decision-making process since insufficient public consultation has taken place.
Follow Us:
Youtube | Google News |
Igniteds is on YouTube; click here to subscribe for the latest videos and updates.
