GOA: Sun, Sand and Possibilities

Goa comes under the Western Ghats region, a unique and fragile ecosystem along the west coast of India that has been under immense pressure in recent years from the unsustainable development. This 1600 km long mountainous stretch forms the entrance to the annual monsoon to the country, offers the best of sea-beaches in this part of the world and represents a hotspot of biodiversity. In fact, the Western Ghats has more than 4000 types of plants, 508 bird species, 121 species of frogs, 87 species of snakes, 63 types of lizards, 6 types of turtles /terrapins and a wide variety of large mammals.

Usually the climatic conditions of Goa are temperate, except during the monsoon, which lasts from June to September. Thanks to the coastal Konkan region and the backdrop of Western Ghats, weather of Goa is pleasant and sunny (temperature 22? to 35?C). There are no extremes in temperature and no clear demarcations from one season to the other except for the monsoon. During the monsoon, 250 cm to 300 cm of rain is normal in coastal areas of Goa, although on the mountainous locations the downpour is considerably higher. Goa is standing tall today among other states in India because of the two boons of bountiful nature- considerable reserves of iron & manganese ores and heavenly beautiful beaches.

Goa environment

However, Goa also faces several problems. Forest is fast disappearing (present forest coverage is only 35% in the Western Ghats) and as a consequence the water security of Goa and other neighboring States is under threat. Hence, it is imperative to conserve existing and regenerate natural forests with indigenous tree cover to save the unique biodiversity. The man-animal conflicts, eroding agriculture diversity, destructive infrastructure, reckless mining and threatened tribal livelihood are some of the issues that need urgent attention. The threat from global warming, cloud bursts, flash floods and seismic activities are very much around. If mining and tourism have rendered the launching pad for economic development of Goa so far, it is time to look beyond these two areas to develop sustainable, environment friendly industries with a human-face.

Goa, according to experts, has all the advantages and potential to become an outstanding First-World-State within the next ten years, provided a transparent, corruption free, proactive, corporate governance is in place. The road to recovery probably lies in enhancing the knowledge-base of the state. The focus of knowledge economy would be to create employment opportunity for the vast educated work-force and not mere short-term problem solving. It should develop a culture of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and accountability. Entrepreneurship is heavily linked to taking risk. Risk taking is an attitude that should be encouraged, when backed by knowledge, information and facts.

Development is best achieved in association with distributive justice. The areas which can be developed into major pillars of economy in Goa are pharmaceuticals, healthcare industry, tertiary education, entertainment industry, information technology, and financial & offshore banking services. Major investment in the field of infrastructure development is essential to support above listed activities. Major investments in power and water sectors are essential. Revamping sewerage system and managing the problem of solid waste should be among the priorities. Investment in transport sector can, in fact, double the return. A faster, less pollutant, congestion free, comfortable transport system from north to south of the state can bring about desired results. Enhancing the facilities at the airport, seaport, and road are must. To ensure an environment friendly balanced growth and support economic turnaround, Goa needs an honest road-map of development and strict implementation of CRZ provisions.