“Goa is an extraordinary state. In more ways than one, a place where, perhaps more than anywhere else, sky, sea, and earth meet. From horizon to horizon, it is a land of abundant richness…. Its greatest asset is one: its environment and its ecology. Its rivers and riverbanks, its beaches, its lakes and clear streams, its dense forests, its low hills and fertile fields, its boulders and even trees shrouded with moss and vines and lichen in the rains, its ridiculously brilliant sunsets…this is a land truly worth fighting for.”

This beautiful ode to Goa came from Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay High Court (Goa bench) on October 11, 2017, in his landmark judgment against moving the western zone of the National Green Tribunal to New Delhi. ‘Goa is worth fighting for’ is the force behind this edition of Question of Cities in which we map Goa’s changing landscape, including capital city Panaji, and the factors responsible for destruction of its diverse, rich and world-renowned ecological wealth, forcing residents to turn activists. Intrusive tourism, unbridled construction, thoughtless infrastructure projects, and change in land laws — all in the name of development — have brought commerce to Goa’s famed susegad way of life and ethos but have extracted a heavy ecological price. This is best expressed in the popular Konkani song Kataram kortam/Kiteak kortai nokre whose lyrics go “Sogleamcheam patlen danvom naka, borot tujim mapam” which translates as “Do not run after everyone, it will fill you with bad vibes”. 

The edition opens with a no-holds-barred interview with renowned environmentalist-activist Claude Alvares who has fought legendary battles, on the streets and in courts, to protect Goa’s village lands, khazan lands, lush forests, and a natural water network that have come under intense pressure from massive development. People’s movements have stood against the attempts to break apart villages, economies, and communities, he says and pulls no punches about governments that act as land brokers and ‘outsiders’ who are part of Goa’s speculation economy. Read his exclusive interview with Associate Editor Shobha Surin. Read it here.

Solano Da Silva, Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences at BITS-Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, analyses changes in Goa’s land laws. Back in 1986, Goa had put in place land zoning plans which ensured that its agricultural lands, ecological systems, and historical sites had protective cover from the fast-expanding land market which gave the state an alternative urbanity. However, this will be largely undone by spot zoning changes enabled by amendments to Goa’s Town and Country Planning Act – mainly by adding Sections 16B, 17(2) and 39A – which have the potential to convert a staggering 51,00,000 square metres of land, including ecologically-sensitive areas, for real estate and tourism purposes, he writes. Read it here.

The state was once a poster for all things exquisite with breath-takingly beautiful landscapes and seafronts, villages nestled in the greens, laid-back way of life. Goa turned to commerce, tourism, real estate development almost with a vengeance in the 2000s. Two decades later, the development fuelled by the post-pandemic rush, is making Goans see their ethos and ecology wane; even local cuisine is on the backburner in places, writes Goa-based journalist and author Joanna Lobo. The Goa story cannot all be about tourist footfalls and elite homes at the cost of its natural wealth – this hope comes from Goans willing to raise voice, join forces, and protect their land. Read it here.

The Panaji, or Panjim, story is told by senior journalist Pamela D’Mello. The spectacular expansion of Panaji with burgeoning tourism – nearly nine times the city’s population – and the real estate boom in hotels and second homes has meant an assault on its natural flood drainage network, creeks, estuaries, lush hillocks, mangroves, and marshlands. Panaji’s expansion has spilled over into 11 surrounding areas, most of them unplanned. The hills overlooking the Mandovi are being divested of green canopies, casino boats with garish lights line its shores, entertainment projects and traffic chaos mar the daily lives of residents, many of whom are forced to be “watchmen” of the city, describes the Goa-based D’Mello. Read it here.

The short film, Avnati, tells the story of the degradation of the St. Inez Creek which  flows through Panaji weaving the lives and memories of people around it. Multimedia journalist Jashvitha Dhagey and architect-illustrator Nikeita Saraf bring out the essence of the film and its impact. From an idyllic place where people recall floating paper boats, the St. Inez Creek is replete with sedimentation, untreated sewage and effluents, construction of hotels and so on. Its story is a microcosm of Goa’s rich network of water bodies and deserves to be seen-heard over and over again if the ecosystem has to be restored to its natural health. Read it here.

In our regular News Digest section, read our curation of stories and opinion pieces on cities, climate change, and the ongoing COP 29 climate conference.

Hope you find this special edition on Goa engaging and worthwhile. We would love to hear from you at [email protected]. If you haven’t yet subscribed to Question of Cities, do so here and share our work on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Thank you,
Smruti
November 15, 2024