(First published in 'Opinionated' -Herald 15/7/2010)
In recent times there has been a growing suspicion and allergy for road construction or road widening and garbage disposal sites in villages of Goa. What was once an attractive proposal by the MLA for the village people, over the years its relationship with nightmarish development problems to follow has been understood. On the other hand it is not surprising to hear remarks like, "we have horrible traffic jams on our main highways. We need wider roads in our tourist areas," from cheer leaders of the government's development policies. At one of the 'meet your candidate' forums organised during the last Goa Assembly polls, the question about the absurd proposal for 6-laning of NH17 at Porvorim was raised by me. My line of argument was that Goa is a tiny place and at the rate at which road construction and widening is carried out there will be hardly any scope for providing people's basic needs like housing, water, agriculture, recreational space and so on. The sitting MLA was quick to defend road widening by pointing to the increased traffic jams on the highway passing through Porvorim. Several enlightened citizens present at this meet cheered the MLAs argument. For a moment I felt there is something terribly wrong with my thinking that needed treatment by a psychiatrist. Three years later, on reading the arguments against the NH17 through Porvorim, I feel greatly amused only to realise the short-sightedness and naivity of the so-called enlightened public. This is the case with industrial sites and other such white elephants across Goa's villages.
No one denies that development of infrastructure is not needed for Goa or for that matter any State. But one is definitely justified in questioning the type and extent of this development that is carried out without a scientific and participatory planning process in place. The present trend of development seems to be dictated by the financial schemes floated by the Union Government and the greed for profits by the market forces rather than genuine needs and priorities of the people. Development in Goa is more about floating tenders and generating contracts instead of providing for the genuine needs of the people. That is why there is a scramble and floor crossing to corner a cash rich ministry or the chair of the Sarpanch. When a PWD minister does not seem to gain anything from the NH road widening, he will oppose it. The moment his interests are satisfied, he will cheer it. That is how development in every sector is determined. Development is about consuming cement and metal and putting more cars on the road to boost the GDP. This explains why sixteen years after the seventy third and seventy fourth constitution amendments there are no village/municipal development plans in place for the State of Goa. What the government has established are 'Contractor Panchayats' and not Village Panchayats and every government department is shoving and pushing projects without the consent of the Gram Sabha. Development plans for the politicians are meant to be kept arbitrary, to be exploited as and when required.
On one hand, human wants are unlimited while on the other, we are often endowed with limited natural resources. To satisfy many of our wants, one of which is wide roads for our ever increasing fleet of motor vehicles, we first need to consider availability of spatial resources. Secondary needs cannot undermine the basic human needs of 'roti, kapda aur makhan'. Some enlightened citizens are quick to show the aerial route as the solution. But unfortunately we are governed by the laws of gravity and so aerial routes cannot be just floating endlessly in space, they have to be grounded somewhere. Proposing high rise buildings to accomodate people and offices is easy, but what about the parking and garbage disposal needs? The present Patto Plaza, one of the seven wonders of Goa's TCP department, is an absolute chaos and an eyesore rather than a delight. Whatever goes up finally comes down at some point and place in time. So road development cannot occur in a void. Issues like availabaility of land for growing food and conserving surface water, housing, sewerage and impact on the over all culture and environment in the area have to be equally considered before introducing any development project. Though the land owners may receive a compensation, there can be no compensation for the ecological, social and cultural damage. It is often irreparable and the adverse effects then spill into the cities with poverty, migration and crime.
So, while we may enjoy to drive alone to office in our car or bike and burn irreplacable fossil fuel because we can afford it, the issue about more sustainable and eco-freindly modes of transport ought to be our primary concern in an era of global warming. Whether we need hundreds of vehicles to transport individuals, or whether we need hundreds of individuals to be transported by a few vehicles on the existing roads is the challenge before us. Similarly, resolution of the garbage problem by dumping it in someone else's backyard is not just. Minimising garbage generation and providing for it's treatment within one's own backyard is a more sustainable and cost-effective approach. The prevailing garbage problem across Goa is a clear example of mismatched development activities. The planners have been content in converting every square inch for commerce and housing whereas it has not given thought to issues like garbage, roads and so on.
Therefore, people in the villages are more than justified to question the indiscriminate and illogical development that is being thrust upon them by the government. It is not the question of not wanting something in my backyard. It is about why the backyard development? Why should the village of Old Goa take the left overs from the party enjoyed by the City Corporation of Panjim? Was there no land in the city limits while the city was allowed to expand? If people in villages can be relocated for construction and expansion of national highways, why cannot people within city limits be relocated to set up a garbage treatment site? Similarly, why should GDP ratings and the greed for profits of a handful be allowed to deprive the right to quality life in the villages? Do we not see how the by-pass road from Panjim to Old Goa has been made to twist and turn just to benefit real estate developers? The answer to Goa's road problems should have been discouraging the use of private vehicles by putting in place a cost-effective and efficient transport system. Goa's garbage should have been tackled by minimising waste generation through encouraging use of more durable products and recycling of wastes. For this we need a genuine and independent Planning and Development Board to replace the present Town and Country Planning Board which is notorious for land use changes and clearances for construction to favour certain vested interests instead of doing its duty of planning. If there is good planning we will not need anyone's back-yards as there will be ample space in everyone's front-yards.
-Soter D'Souza
Socorro
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