Are politicians signing the environmental death warrant of Goa?

 Herald Review Oct 22m 2023 

It is a known fact that every project in Goa is seen as an opportunity by the political class and their allies in real estate “development”. Hence one can see the alarming trend of opposition to environmental protection by politicians. We have a situation where lakhs of square metres of land for IITs and other projects have been opened up for construction activities, making forests vulnerable, without paying any heed to the recommendations on Eco-Sensitive Areas and Zones. It is even more dangerous to see that the elected representatives are misleading people to protest against the efforts to protect their habitats and environment. This protection will only help the future of their own children. Present destruction of hills, lakes, lands and forests will convert Goa into a desert with no rivers and forests. In the latest episode of the weekly Herald TV debate Point-Counterpoint, SUJAY GUPTA discusses the implications of such undemocratic and destructive actions by the State’s political leadership

Goa has been struck by a tragedy, which is probably more damaging than a natural disaster, wherein our land, culture and livelihood – which are linked with our identity - over a period of time has faced State-sponsored destruction. Our environment, ecology, rivers, hill slopes and our fields are in danger.

The fundamental question here is, are the politicians signing the environmental death warrant of Goa? Have they become the biggest enemies of our environment? Are they purposely and deliberately bypassing and destroying the very laws that are there to protect our environment and ecology? If there are Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs), why are politicians against it? If there are eco-sensitive areas which need to be identified as a part of a notification, then why are politicians against it? Why did a particular minister go to the extent of mobilising his people to March against ESZs, when he was not even aware that a committee that was here in Goa, in front of whom he wanted the people to protest were not even here to discuss ESZs but Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs)?

It is pertinent to ask here why the shoulders of gullible villagers are being used to sing the mantra of “development”? This version of development is fundamentally against the interest of Goa. These are the things which are there for all to see and one will be surprised to know that about a couple of weeks ago, the Goa State Biodiversity Board wanted to have a series of meetings with the village Bio-biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), who essentially deal with various issues of environment planning and village development.

What is interesting here is that there was literally a mini uprising of people who questioned the Goa State Biodiversity Board, saying why are you coming to us to talk to us about ecology and environment and how we need to protect our villages? Why don't you go and say this to politicians who are the biggest enemies of the environment?

The issue is, the Goa State Biodiversity Board chairman actually had to admit that this anger was very palpable. These issues need discussion threadbare because it’s a broad topic and we need to figure out whether this version of development should be allowed to continue or not. Also, it is important to understand how people need to be far more educated and responsible and ultimately, whether people will take that plunge and ensure that all our development does not get crushed under the altar of greed.

Because what is really happening is that, instead of planning becoming the centre of all our existence and our governance, greed has become the centre of all our existence and governance and so-called planning is curated around it to feed that greed.

Claude Alvares, environmentalist and Director, Goa Foundation responding on the controversy whether Goa should have ESAs or not and the Chief Minister's recent statement that out of 99 villages, at least 40 of them should be excluded from the list of Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) as given in the central government notification, said that even with the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act regarding Panchayati Raj in place, it is the Chief Minister who is still deciding the fate of 40 villages.

“The Chief Minister’s recent statement that out of 99 villages, 40 should be excluded from the list of ESA villages, in the draft notification. Why does he continue to decide the fate of 40 villages? Why can’t the village bodies decide that? The panchayat is a part of the State under Article 21 of the Constitution. We have Central, State and local self-government. Panchayats should decide if they want to be a part of the ESAs or not. Why is the Chief Minister deciding that 40 panchayats should not be a part of the Eco-sensitive areas defined by the Kasturirangan Committee (on the protection of the fragile Western Ghats)?

Citing the example of Pernem, Alvares said, “You allowed Pernem’s destruction the moment the airport was allowed to come up (at Mopa). You permitted the handing over of Pernem’s resources, on which very ordinary people survive, for casinos, real estate and a whole lot of people who are so influential. There is so much money involved that there is no way the government is going to listen to ordinary villagers anymore.”

He said that the opposition to the notification of ESA, (which will actually protect each village) is being manufactured. And this opposition will be used by politicians and the Central government to say there is no need for the notification of Eco-Sensitive Areas.

“All that the notification says is don't come with your mining proposals, you don't come with your thermal power plant, don't set up your cement plant and don't come with any of the red category industries, which are highly polluting, that is all that the notification is saying. And that is a notification which will protect every village of Goa. It has been a draft for a long time and has been notified five times. The government is still not willing to make it a law and this opposition is manufactured by people who do not understand what is at stake,” he said.

“This opposition will be used by the central government to say there is no need for this notification. That is the problem,” he added.

The other issue is the strange reaction that came from the Minister Subhash Phal Desai to instigate the people by telling them that this was the last opportunity to prevent their villages from becoming part of ESZ (he probably meant ESA) and telling them that their livelihoods would be at stake and they won’t be able to enter their own houses. That is very dangerously misleading.

“The ESA notification actually is very clear. No mining, no turbo power plants, or the red category industries which are highly polluting, are permitted. New building construction only below 20,000 sq mt is permitted. Even all healthcare establishments like Primary Health Centres and hospitals are permitted, which would be of great use to the people living there,” Alvares said.

He said that agriculture and horticulture are permitted, all the industries which are in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, except the red category industries, are permitted in this area.

Another narrative set by the establishment is that tribal interest will get affected the moment you have ESZs or ESAs, tribals will not be allowed to do any work, their livelihoods will get impacted. They will not have any access to forest resources and there are members of the tribal community, who are backing this move as well.

Ravindra Velip, the Vice President of the GAKUVED Federation, fighting for tribal rights said that no attempts have been made to identify the community forest rights of these villages. Most of the villages come under mining areas. Velip strongly agreed that if villages are in eco-sensitive zones, tribal rights and their relationship with forests will only strengthen, not weaken.

The tribal leader also said that people who are opposing ESAs, need to go through the draft notification. People are being threatened that power will be given to the Forest department. And this is because the forest department has failed to get the trust of the communities.

“Since the Inception of the Indian Forest Act, that is from 1961, in Goa the Forest Department must have failed to gain the trust from the communities living in these villages. Because of this, I think their views can be easily manipulated. Once the ESAs are notified then obviously there will be restrictions and if you go through the list, most of the villages are coming under the mining areas,” Velip said.

Ultimately the biggest failure has been that you're not allowing the villages and the panchayats to do their own village level planning. Ultimately, the planning has to be decentralised in letter and spirit. The issue is that why should we have other departments and others deciding on behalf of the local bodies?

“Gram sabhas should be at the centre of decision-making and training should be imparted to gram sabha members. Planning and decision-making should be given to the gram sabhas. Prior to that, proper awareness should be made. The Tribal Welfare Department should also be a part of the process. All acts of environmental protection need to be guarded and implemented by the panchayats and local bodies. The village plan has to be made by the panchayats and followed,” Velip said.

“Maybe NGOs which are working for the welfare of the tribal people, should be taken into confidence. The Tribal Welfare Department can be engaged and considering all the things, a proper awareness or proper clarity should be given to the people, because what I feel is that people went to submit objections, not knowing why the committee had come there. So, I think that there was no clarity and they were just simply misguided,” he said.

There are laws to ostensibly protect Goa and any other State. We have the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). There are the Coastal Regulatory Zones (CRZs) as an extension, you have ESZs and ESAs. There are other coastal environmental laws etc. Now, all these laws, including Forest Act and others, are meant to be enabling Acts for the protection of not just Goa's environment, but Goa as a whole.

So, why does it seem right now that all these Acts are seen as detrimental to the so-called “development” and what is even worse or even more dangerous is that politicians are basically looking at these Acts as enemies, rather seeing them as friends to enable Goa’s protection?

Columnist and a veteran of the panchayat and other people’s movements, Soter D’Souza said, “I think, we need to understand one thing. There are many Acts. But are these acts finally converging or are they compartmentalised? Because, recently someone asked a wonderful question to all the people who are talking about Agriculture Policy. How is the term Agriculture defined in the other related Acts? Have you all studied that under Soil Conservation Act or Forest Act, each law has a different definition?”

“Then, you are blocked in one Act, you use the other one. So, there are various channels. All these acts and laws were supposed to be made in consonance with the 73rd and 74th amendment. That has not been done. Each Act is being operated by independent government agencies, but not by the panchayats. The village plan is not made under the Panchayat Act. It is for the purpose of the Central Finance Commission,” he said.

“This is not the same Village Act which was talked about on Article 243 ZD (It states: “There shall be constituted in every State at the district level a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the Municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole”), D’Souza said.

“See, basically we can talk about this till the cows come home. There have been several debates on this issue over the years. Even Claude (Alvares) has been fighting. But ultimately, what we are seeing in the environment field is just one of the aspects. Basically, there is an erosion of conscience and there is a moral corrosion also in the public. So basically, over these years, because of corrupt politics, even the public cannot decide what is right, what is wrong, what is fair and what is unjust. They don't know,” the senior columnist said.

“You cannot reason with drug addicts and alcoholics. Here you are dealing with power addicts and money addicts. They don’t understand unless they learn it the hard way, like in Karnataka, where the government was defeated. That fear is not there in Goa. The arrogance of certain ministers is shocking. People don’t matter. Who are you, they ask? We elect such people,” he lamented.

One can only hope that through such discussions, we can recover from what we've lost. Ultimately we all go back and every time whenever anybody talks about Goa, he or she gets nostalgic and goes back in time by 20 years. With each passing year, we need to go back further. This is because, ultimately Goa had a self-sufficient economy.

The villages were strong and used to be the universe of everybody's existence. Planning used to be decentralised. But, the biggest albatross around our neck is this felter word called greed. That encompasses everything. The issue here is when you have literally State-sponsored violations of existing laws and opposition to court orders, which are protecting those laws. Then we surely have a problem and one would say that this has become completely endemic.

It is very critical for people, especially those who are who are ruling the system to introspect very seriously because what happens is it is not just about you being in power? for five years or 10 years or 15 years, because every tree you cut, every slope you destroy, every coastal area that you completely crush, ultimately you're taking it away from your future generations and Goa cannot be and if this happens, Goa will ultimately become a become a big wasteland, with nothing left to look forward to.

Ultimately, beyond everything else, you're killing the basic goose that is Goa. People will not come to Goa if it does’nt remain Goa and becomes a Dharavi, one of the world's largest slums. With all due respect to those people and places for Goa to remain intrinsic, you need to protect it. The fight must go on. But, ultimately protection of Goa and its ecology needs to become a big mandate during elections, because that is the only part of democracy that a politician kind of likes or fears as the case may be, because everything boils down to whether we can win the next election or not.

https://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Are-politicians-signing-the-environmental-death-warrant-of-Goa/212445