Death too is a lonely affair for HIV+ in Goa
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: The discovery of the body of 45-year-old Vasco resident, Ajay, at the bus stop near Goa Medical College and Hospital on August 21, 2008 has emphasized the discrimination HIV positive persons face in Goa.
Agassaim police, who shifted the body to the GMC morgue said that Ajay, who had made the bus stop his home since the second week of August, was probably abandoned by his relatives.
Ajay’s is not an isolated case. “Once family members know of a relative’s HIV status they abandon them. Very often relatives don’t even claim the body after death,” said GMC dean Dr V N Jindal.
“We continue to live with stigma and face discrimination from an indifferent society and unsympathetic relatives. Many of us live without dignity and die stigmatised,” says Jafar Inamdar, president of Positive Lives Foundation.
If life after infection isn’t easy, death is also a lonely affair. Take the case of Abdul from Panaji, who was admitted to GMC on July 27 and expired on August 3, 2008. Till date no one has come forward to claim the body.
“Often relatives furnish fake details while admitting a HIV positive patient at GMC. Once the patient dies, the police have difficulty in obtaining a no objection certificate to dispose off the body,” said forensic department head, Dr Silvano Sapeco.
Despite awareness campaigns and programmes to dispel myths about HIV/AIDS, the stigma attached to the disease continues to haunt patients. Dr Jindal added that people still fear that “HIV/AIDS can spread through touch.”
Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) project director Dr Pradeep Padwal agrees that despite efforts to dispel the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, people are still scared. “Its not easy to change the mindset. People are aware about HIV, but find it difficult to accept if a family member is infected with HIV,” said Padwal.
August 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
GOA:FOR A PIECE OF PARADISE
FOR A PIECE OF PARADISE
UK balm for Britons caught in bad realty deals in Goa
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Alarmed by the increasing incidents of Britishers being duped by unscrupulous estate agents and developers, the UK government is trying to help its citizens by providing them a list of local lawyers who they could employ.
“Although we cannot get involved in individual legal disputes, we can assist British citizens in troubled deals by furnishing them with a list of independent local lawyers,” said a spokesperson of the British High Commission, Mumbai.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has already issued an advisory to British citizens to “make careful enquiries before buying property in Goa”.
Many Britishers are waking up to the fact that the lease agreements they had entered into in the hope of owning a home in Goa does not give them ownership rights. A 60-year-old, who requested that his name be withheld, said he entered into a lease agreement with a Goan builder’s agent in Eton to purchase a villa in Cavelossim on May 31, 2006.
“We were told that entering into a lease agreement would be our means to owning a ‘registered’ home in Goa once we stay for 182 days in India. We paid the Rs 15 lakh they asked for and the builder promised to transfer the property to our name within the lease period of 32 months,” said his wife.
According to the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 2000 a person gets residential status once he completes 182 days in the country.
Two years down the line, the couple have realised that they may never be able to own the house they “purchased” as they have failed to validate their property rights. “Property prices have skyrocketed in Goa and the builder is refusing to do a sale deed now, stating that the law doesn’t permit it,” the Briton said. “The builder is willing to give us a refund but only after deduction of costs. When we refused, he threatened that if we try to fight we may not get anything once the lease is over,” his wife added. Builders deny duping foreigners
Panaji: It is not only Britishers, but also Germans, Russians and Italians who are finding themselves in a soup being duped by unscrupulous estate agents and developers. “Local builders as well as those with offices in the UK have consistently been assuring buyers directly and through professionals that everything is in order and there is no legal hurdle in purchasing property in India. With such strong assurances, often a buyer is led to parting with all his hard earned money,” said advocate Vikram Varma, who is dealing with several such complaints.
Take the case of Barbara, a woman from Brimingham, who entered into a lease agreement with a builder. She had several meetings with an UKbased estate agent who markets Goan homes.
She also consulted an advocate before entering into a construction-cum-lease agreement in August 2005 for a villa in Sernabatim. She was promised that once the building was ready, the property would be transferred or handed over to her. But now after
three years, she is yet to get the property transferred in her name.
“The agent who persuaded us to invest in Goa has shut shop and our lawyer has expressed helplessness. We just don’t know where to go and what to do,” lamented Barbara.
“The crime of these foreigners is that they trusted the people who assured them of the legal position of their purchase,” said Varma.
However, assistant solicitor general Carlos Ferreira believes the foreigners are also to blame.
“An agreement for lease is essentially an agreement to enjoy a property for a fixed period of time, subject to the terms and conditions. Lease can never be understood to mean an agreement to sell or a right to acquire a property,” he said.
If a lease agreement had been executed to camouflage the real intention of acquisition of property, the law can’t protect such unscrupulous people, unless there is a clause binding on the builder to sell the property to the foreigner, he said. But this can only be done if there is no other impediment in any other law, he added.
The problem of builders reneging on their agreements aggravated recently after the Goa government decided to amend the laws governing registration of property so that foreigners could not easily acquire real estate in the state.
Builders deny any wrongdoing on their part. The lack of clarity on the law is preventing them from executing sale deeds in the last few months, they claim.
Datta Naik, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, Goa, said, “Earlier we used to lease out a property to a foreigner for a period of less than 60 months during which he would either establish a proof of business or finish more than 182 days in the country. After that we would execute the sale deed.”
But now, he says, there is no clear instruction from the government.
“We had written to the state government about the legal status of such sale deeds but got conflicting signals from the administration. Because of this we have not been executing any sale deed with foreigners for the last one year. We don’t want to land up on the wrong side of the law,” he said.
August 24, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
UK balm for Britons caught in bad realty deals in Goa
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Alarmed by the increasing incidents of Britishers being duped by unscrupulous estate agents and developers, the UK government is trying to help its citizens by providing them a list of local lawyers who they could employ.
“Although we cannot get involved in individual legal disputes, we can assist British citizens in troubled deals by furnishing them with a list of independent local lawyers,” said a spokesperson of the British High Commission, Mumbai.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has already issued an advisory to British citizens to “make careful enquiries before buying property in Goa”.
Many Britishers are waking up to the fact that the lease agreements they had entered into in the hope of owning a home in Goa does not give them ownership rights. A 60-year-old, who requested that his name be withheld, said he entered into a lease agreement with a Goan builder’s agent in Eton to purchase a villa in Cavelossim on May 31, 2006.
“We were told that entering into a lease agreement would be our means to owning a ‘registered’ home in Goa once we stay for 182 days in India. We paid the Rs 15 lakh they asked for and the builder promised to transfer the property to our name within the lease period of 32 months,” said his wife.
According to the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 2000 a person gets residential status once he completes 182 days in the country.
Two years down the line, the couple have realised that they may never be able to own the house they “purchased” as they have failed to validate their property rights. “Property prices have skyrocketed in Goa and the builder is refusing to do a sale deed now, stating that the law doesn’t permit it,” the Briton said. “The builder is willing to give us a refund but only after deduction of costs. When we refused, he threatened that if we try to fight we may not get anything once the lease is over,” his wife added. Builders deny duping foreigners
Panaji: It is not only Britishers, but also Germans, Russians and Italians who are finding themselves in a soup being duped by unscrupulous estate agents and developers. “Local builders as well as those with offices in the UK have consistently been assuring buyers directly and through professionals that everything is in order and there is no legal hurdle in purchasing property in India. With such strong assurances, often a buyer is led to parting with all his hard earned money,” said advocate Vikram Varma, who is dealing with several such complaints.
Take the case of Barbara, a woman from Brimingham, who entered into a lease agreement with a builder. She had several meetings with an UKbased estate agent who markets Goan homes.
She also consulted an advocate before entering into a construction-cum-lease agreement in August 2005 for a villa in Sernabatim. She was promised that once the building was ready, the property would be transferred or handed over to her. But now after
three years, she is yet to get the property transferred in her name.
“The agent who persuaded us to invest in Goa has shut shop and our lawyer has expressed helplessness. We just don’t know where to go and what to do,” lamented Barbara.
“The crime of these foreigners is that they trusted the people who assured them of the legal position of their purchase,” said Varma.
However, assistant solicitor general Carlos Ferreira believes the foreigners are also to blame.
“An agreement for lease is essentially an agreement to enjoy a property for a fixed period of time, subject to the terms and conditions. Lease can never be understood to mean an agreement to sell or a right to acquire a property,” he said.
If a lease agreement had been executed to camouflage the real intention of acquisition of property, the law can’t protect such unscrupulous people, unless there is a clause binding on the builder to sell the property to the foreigner, he said. But this can only be done if there is no other impediment in any other law, he added.
The problem of builders reneging on their agreements aggravated recently after the Goa government decided to amend the laws governing registration of property so that foreigners could not easily acquire real estate in the state.
Builders deny any wrongdoing on their part. The lack of clarity on the law is preventing them from executing sale deeds in the last few months, they claim.
Datta Naik, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, Goa, said, “Earlier we used to lease out a property to a foreigner for a period of less than 60 months during which he would either establish a proof of business or finish more than 182 days in the country. After that we would execute the sale deed.”
But now, he says, there is no clear instruction from the government.
“We had written to the state government about the legal status of such sale deeds but got conflicting signals from the administration. Because of this we have not been executing any sale deed with foreigners for the last one year. We don’t want to land up on the wrong side of the law,” he said.
August 24, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
Plans to build cops station at Betul hit roadblock
Plans to build cops station at Betul hit roadblock
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: A proposal by the Goa police to build a coastal police station at Betul to tighten security, in the wake of increased threat perception in the country, has been put on hold as the plot identified falls within the “no development zone” of river Sal.
With no solution in sight, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority has now written to the ministry of forests and environment (MoEF) requesting them to allow the police department to construct in the “no development zone” as it is a matter concerning coastal security of the state.
“We are following up the matter with MoEF as it is an important matter of security of the state and we are also concerned,” said GCZMA member secretary Michael D’Souza.
GCZMA has requested the MoEF to clarify if approval can be given to set-up the coastal police station as it is for the purpose of security.
The area falls within CRZ III and the area up to 200 mts from the High Tide Line is a NDZ except for repairs of existing authorised structures and other permitted activities like gardens, parks etc.
A High Level Empowered Committee of the Central Ministry of Home Affairs has approved three police stations under coastal security plan for the state and an amount of Rs 74.10 lakh has been sanctioned for the three police stations. The state government has already received the first installment of Rs 37.05 lakh and the entire amount has to be spent by 2009-2010.
“Coastal security is our primary concern now and the department is following up the matter with the central ministry. Once the building is ready we can also increase the staff strength of the coastal police,” added SP (Coastal police) Omprakash Kurtarkar.
At present, the coastal police stations at Siolim, Betul and Harbour are functioning either from existing outposts or police station buildings.
Therefore, once the grant was sanctioned the government decided to construct new buildings for coastal police stations at Siolim and Betul.
Whereas the existing old building at Harbour was proposed for renovation for coastal police station.
While the work at Siolim has already commenced and even the work on a jetty at Chapora has been approved, the construction work of coastal police station at Betul was put on hold as the site chosen for the construction falls in CRZ III. While coastal police station at Siolim would cost about Rs 26.6 lakh, the estimates for the construction at Betul is Rs 28.7 lakh.
Besides, government sources informed that though there is an old, dilapidated structure belonging to the Captain of Ports, the plot in Betul is still in the name of private party in form XIV.
Thus though the police has got NOC from Captain of Ports, they can’t construct. Besides, the police feel that the area in which the structure exists is less and they require at least 600 square metres to construct the new building.
“The police want to construct their structure adjoining to it so that they can have easy access to their vessels anchored on the shore. Besides adequate land is not available in the area beyond the NDZ for construction of the coastal office”, said a government official.
“Coastal police can also be of great help to us as they have jurisdiction over the coastal belt. Besides, keeping surveillance of the coast, they can also give us information of any illegal structure that comes up in the coastal area,” added D’Souza.
August 24, 2008,The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: A proposal by the Goa police to build a coastal police station at Betul to tighten security, in the wake of increased threat perception in the country, has been put on hold as the plot identified falls within the “no development zone” of river Sal.
With no solution in sight, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority has now written to the ministry of forests and environment (MoEF) requesting them to allow the police department to construct in the “no development zone” as it is a matter concerning coastal security of the state.
“We are following up the matter with MoEF as it is an important matter of security of the state and we are also concerned,” said GCZMA member secretary Michael D’Souza.
GCZMA has requested the MoEF to clarify if approval can be given to set-up the coastal police station as it is for the purpose of security.
The area falls within CRZ III and the area up to 200 mts from the High Tide Line is a NDZ except for repairs of existing authorised structures and other permitted activities like gardens, parks etc.
A High Level Empowered Committee of the Central Ministry of Home Affairs has approved three police stations under coastal security plan for the state and an amount of Rs 74.10 lakh has been sanctioned for the three police stations. The state government has already received the first installment of Rs 37.05 lakh and the entire amount has to be spent by 2009-2010.
“Coastal security is our primary concern now and the department is following up the matter with the central ministry. Once the building is ready we can also increase the staff strength of the coastal police,” added SP (Coastal police) Omprakash Kurtarkar.
At present, the coastal police stations at Siolim, Betul and Harbour are functioning either from existing outposts or police station buildings.
Therefore, once the grant was sanctioned the government decided to construct new buildings for coastal police stations at Siolim and Betul.
Whereas the existing old building at Harbour was proposed for renovation for coastal police station.
While the work at Siolim has already commenced and even the work on a jetty at Chapora has been approved, the construction work of coastal police station at Betul was put on hold as the site chosen for the construction falls in CRZ III. While coastal police station at Siolim would cost about Rs 26.6 lakh, the estimates for the construction at Betul is Rs 28.7 lakh.
Besides, government sources informed that though there is an old, dilapidated structure belonging to the Captain of Ports, the plot in Betul is still in the name of private party in form XIV.
Thus though the police has got NOC from Captain of Ports, they can’t construct. Besides, the police feel that the area in which the structure exists is less and they require at least 600 square metres to construct the new building.
“The police want to construct their structure adjoining to it so that they can have easy access to their vessels anchored on the shore. Besides adequate land is not available in the area beyond the NDZ for construction of the coastal office”, said a government official.
“Coastal police can also be of great help to us as they have jurisdiction over the coastal belt. Besides, keeping surveillance of the coast, they can also give us information of any illegal structure that comes up in the coastal area,” added D’Souza.
August 24, 2008,The Times of India, Goa edition
Putrid Health Care in Goa
Putrid Health Care
From broken equipment to misplaced priorities, the HC-appointed commissioners’ report lashes out at the sorry state of Goa’s public medical system. Preetu Nair reports
Wounds in the state’s health care system have now officially bled onto paper. A three-member team of commissioners, appointed by the high court to visit the Goa Medical College (GMC) and two district hospitals and report on the state of health care management, have submitted a scathing report.
In their findings the commissioners noted that a large number of vacant posts, ill-motivated staff and non-availability of essential drugs have undermined the curative services at the district hospitals.
The team comprising senior counsel Saresh Lotlikar, assistant solicitor general of India Carlos Ferreira and senior counsel J E Coelho Pereira have also noted, “All is not well with the health care management at the GMC.” Essential equipment and medicines are often not available at GMC, they noted.
Since the annual tender for X-ray films has not been finalised, there is a shortage of films in the department that sees 210-220 X-rays filmed everyday. The shortage of drugs for short periods is attributed to reasons ranging from transport delays to manufacturing problems. Equipment in the intensive care wards, especially pertaining to oxygen supply, are often dysfunctional. Ambulances in the trauma unit are not in a “functional” condition. And the state of cleanliness at the hospital is “deplorable”, with the walls of the ICU and private wards stained and dirty with moss, noted the report.
Also noting the refrain that facilities will improve once the planned new building is ready, the commissioners observed: “Patients in the meantime, are not to get treatment for their ailments at the hospital in rooms with dirty and non-functional bathrooms and dirty rooms”. They observed: “Health care pre-supposes a clean and an unpolluted environment”.
The condition at the two district hospitals — Asilo in Mapusa and Hospicio in Margao — is no different, but in fact worse, found the report.
The paediatric ward at Asilo is “within the area of the building where the PWD had declared the roof of the room
to be unsafe
a n d
therefore part of the medicine ward, which was functioning in the adjoining room, had to be evacuated”, noted the report.
“Priorities are also not being worked out correctly,” observed the commissioners. There is no proper health care being given at the district hospitals, because of which patients opt not to be admitted there, they added.
Agreeing with the commissioners report, former faculty member Dr Oscar Rebello told TOI, “GMC is primarily a teaching institute. But, at present it is loaded with all types of cases, from common cold to complicated ones and resident doctors work really hard to treat the patients. This needs to be channelled to improve the situation at GMC.”
Alumnus Dr Eugene D’Silva added, “Politicians directly interfere in the functioning of the GMC and the appointment of staff. Besides, a lot of money is spent on unwanted things such as landscaping, while basics such as gloves and syringes are missing.”
Health secretary Anand Prakash said, “We have also gone through the report of the commissioners of the court and we have taken a number of steps to improve the situation.”
The commissioners were appointed following a petition filed in 2007, by Chicalimbased Prakash Sardessai, highlighting the “sorry state of affairs in government hospitals in the state”. TNN
Bruised & Battered
GMC, Bambolim
General cleanliness deplorable; private rooms unhygienic, not a healthy environment for patients Shortage of X-ray films due to delay in supply; equipment in ICU and ICCU, mainly oxygen supply, not working Oxygen supply equipment in private ward not functional. Conduit pipes obsolete, not working. Central oxygen system broken down. Machine used for barium studies out of order, under repair Condition of general wards worse; condition of gynaecology and post-delivery wards bad
Asilo, Mapusa
Doesn’t function as a district hospital Toilets poorly maintained; occupancy in most wards less than 50% Casual approach of doctors and consultants towards patients and hospital used as venue for private practice Neither the hospital being shifted to a new premise nor increase in staff will improve the situation, unless health care is properly imparted to patients by dedicated doctors and nurses in a disciplined manner
Hospicio, Margao
Building is old and not meant to accommodate a hospital Last monsoon, part of the building collapsed and not repaired. This poses danger to inmates No trauma or Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A label in one of the wards reads: “ICU”, but there is no doctor in-charge of this unit and it doesn’t have any ventilators. Except for monitors, it doesn’t have the required equipment or manpower to manage it One old refrigerator for storage of blood, but no alternate or back-up system in place
(Findings of the ccommissioners’ report) Bitter Pills
The commissioners appointed by the high court to study the health system at the state and district hospitals didn’t mince their words: 1
“We found extensive work of paving the campus area and landscaping being done. We don’t find fault with it, but we certainly observed that the priorities are not being worked correctly” 2
“The appointments (in super speciality) which are made without any open competition, are made to distribute the spoils of power to few consultants to use the GMC as an outlet for outside practice and for them to get all procedures being done at the cost of the government, for their private patients” 3
“The high powered committee (on health) constituted by the government is meant to only drain the exchequer’s money and to give favoured ones positions at the cost of the exchequer”
August 20, 2008,The Times of India,Goa edition
From broken equipment to misplaced priorities, the HC-appointed commissioners’ report lashes out at the sorry state of Goa’s public medical system. Preetu Nair reports
Wounds in the state’s health care system have now officially bled onto paper. A three-member team of commissioners, appointed by the high court to visit the Goa Medical College (GMC) and two district hospitals and report on the state of health care management, have submitted a scathing report.
In their findings the commissioners noted that a large number of vacant posts, ill-motivated staff and non-availability of essential drugs have undermined the curative services at the district hospitals.
The team comprising senior counsel Saresh Lotlikar, assistant solicitor general of India Carlos Ferreira and senior counsel J E Coelho Pereira have also noted, “All is not well with the health care management at the GMC.” Essential equipment and medicines are often not available at GMC, they noted.
Since the annual tender for X-ray films has not been finalised, there is a shortage of films in the department that sees 210-220 X-rays filmed everyday. The shortage of drugs for short periods is attributed to reasons ranging from transport delays to manufacturing problems. Equipment in the intensive care wards, especially pertaining to oxygen supply, are often dysfunctional. Ambulances in the trauma unit are not in a “functional” condition. And the state of cleanliness at the hospital is “deplorable”, with the walls of the ICU and private wards stained and dirty with moss, noted the report.
Also noting the refrain that facilities will improve once the planned new building is ready, the commissioners observed: “Patients in the meantime, are not to get treatment for their ailments at the hospital in rooms with dirty and non-functional bathrooms and dirty rooms”. They observed: “Health care pre-supposes a clean and an unpolluted environment”.
The condition at the two district hospitals — Asilo in Mapusa and Hospicio in Margao — is no different, but in fact worse, found the report.
The paediatric ward at Asilo is “within the area of the building where the PWD had declared the roof of the room
to be unsafe
a n d
therefore part of the medicine ward, which was functioning in the adjoining room, had to be evacuated”, noted the report.
“Priorities are also not being worked out correctly,” observed the commissioners. There is no proper health care being given at the district hospitals, because of which patients opt not to be admitted there, they added.
Agreeing with the commissioners report, former faculty member Dr Oscar Rebello told TOI, “GMC is primarily a teaching institute. But, at present it is loaded with all types of cases, from common cold to complicated ones and resident doctors work really hard to treat the patients. This needs to be channelled to improve the situation at GMC.”
Alumnus Dr Eugene D’Silva added, “Politicians directly interfere in the functioning of the GMC and the appointment of staff. Besides, a lot of money is spent on unwanted things such as landscaping, while basics such as gloves and syringes are missing.”
Health secretary Anand Prakash said, “We have also gone through the report of the commissioners of the court and we have taken a number of steps to improve the situation.”
The commissioners were appointed following a petition filed in 2007, by Chicalimbased Prakash Sardessai, highlighting the “sorry state of affairs in government hospitals in the state”. TNN
Bruised & Battered
GMC, Bambolim
General cleanliness deplorable; private rooms unhygienic, not a healthy environment for patients Shortage of X-ray films due to delay in supply; equipment in ICU and ICCU, mainly oxygen supply, not working Oxygen supply equipment in private ward not functional. Conduit pipes obsolete, not working. Central oxygen system broken down. Machine used for barium studies out of order, under repair Condition of general wards worse; condition of gynaecology and post-delivery wards bad
Asilo, Mapusa
Doesn’t function as a district hospital Toilets poorly maintained; occupancy in most wards less than 50% Casual approach of doctors and consultants towards patients and hospital used as venue for private practice Neither the hospital being shifted to a new premise nor increase in staff will improve the situation, unless health care is properly imparted to patients by dedicated doctors and nurses in a disciplined manner
Hospicio, Margao
Building is old and not meant to accommodate a hospital Last monsoon, part of the building collapsed and not repaired. This poses danger to inmates No trauma or Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A label in one of the wards reads: “ICU”, but there is no doctor in-charge of this unit and it doesn’t have any ventilators. Except for monitors, it doesn’t have the required equipment or manpower to manage it One old refrigerator for storage of blood, but no alternate or back-up system in place
(Findings of the ccommissioners’ report) Bitter Pills
The commissioners appointed by the high court to study the health system at the state and district hospitals didn’t mince their words: 1
“We found extensive work of paving the campus area and landscaping being done. We don’t find fault with it, but we certainly observed that the priorities are not being worked correctly” 2
“The appointments (in super speciality) which are made without any open competition, are made to distribute the spoils of power to few consultants to use the GMC as an outlet for outside practice and for them to get all procedures being done at the cost of the government, for their private patients” 3
“The high powered committee (on health) constituted by the government is meant to only drain the exchequer’s money and to give favoured ones positions at the cost of the exchequer”
August 20, 2008,The Times of India,Goa edition
Plan to promote ‘green tourism’
Plan to promote ‘green tourism’
Industry Ready For Image Change-over
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: With about 10 fivestar hotels in the state toying with idea of having regular energy audits to promote “green tourism” in the state, the tourism industry in Goa is ready for an image change-over.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is in consultation with the hotels to conduct regular energy audits to measure the daily energy consumption in these hotels. Energy audits are done to measure the energy (power) consumption in hotels to help assess the amount of energy that is consumed and identify means to prevent wastage of energy.
As a first step in ensuring “green tourism” in the state, TERI has approached the five-star hotels, as their power consumption patterns are on the higher side. “Some of them have responded positively and they agree that energy audits are beneficial in terms of not only reducing the impacts on the environment, but also in generating revenue by cost saving,” said associate fellow with TERI Saltanat Kazi.
TERI authorities believe that going green would help in attracting responsible tourists, who are aware and take measures to ensure that they cause minimum impact
on people and environment that they visit.
Besides, they are also proposing TERI’s green building rating system (TERI–GRIHA) to help design and evaluate new “green buildings” in the tourism sector, which would help improve the environment by reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, improving energy security and reducing the stress on natural resources.
The aim is to promote “green tourism” as a form of sustainable tourism, with focus on environmental sustainability and involves the application of environment friendly practices and technology at both the planning and operational phase to prevent, mitigate and reverse the detrimental environmental impacts. “Green tourism creates a ripple effect as its implications extend to the tourism sector, in the locality, in the tourist’s place of origin. It also encompasses eco-tourism, rural tourism and heritage tourism,” said Kazi.
“This would benefit the tourism industry as there is reduced environmental footprint of the tourism sector, which adopts environmentally and socially friendly attitudes and initiatives. Besides tourist establishments can improve reputation, business and market share,” she added. Tourism’s impact on environmental domains such as ecosystems, beaches, wet lands, mangroves, forests, mountains, coastal and ground water has been a matter of concern for environmentalists in the state. “As a concept, energy audit and green building is a positive sign. But linking it to the concept of “green tourism” is not justified until there is a clear definition of what is green tourism,” said activist working on tourism issues, Roland Martins.
August 19, 2008 The Times of India, Goa edition
Industry Ready For Image Change-over
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: With about 10 fivestar hotels in the state toying with idea of having regular energy audits to promote “green tourism” in the state, the tourism industry in Goa is ready for an image change-over.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is in consultation with the hotels to conduct regular energy audits to measure the daily energy consumption in these hotels. Energy audits are done to measure the energy (power) consumption in hotels to help assess the amount of energy that is consumed and identify means to prevent wastage of energy.
As a first step in ensuring “green tourism” in the state, TERI has approached the five-star hotels, as their power consumption patterns are on the higher side. “Some of them have responded positively and they agree that energy audits are beneficial in terms of not only reducing the impacts on the environment, but also in generating revenue by cost saving,” said associate fellow with TERI Saltanat Kazi.
TERI authorities believe that going green would help in attracting responsible tourists, who are aware and take measures to ensure that they cause minimum impact
on people and environment that they visit.
Besides, they are also proposing TERI’s green building rating system (TERI–GRIHA) to help design and evaluate new “green buildings” in the tourism sector, which would help improve the environment by reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, improving energy security and reducing the stress on natural resources.
The aim is to promote “green tourism” as a form of sustainable tourism, with focus on environmental sustainability and involves the application of environment friendly practices and technology at both the planning and operational phase to prevent, mitigate and reverse the detrimental environmental impacts. “Green tourism creates a ripple effect as its implications extend to the tourism sector, in the locality, in the tourist’s place of origin. It also encompasses eco-tourism, rural tourism and heritage tourism,” said Kazi.
“This would benefit the tourism industry as there is reduced environmental footprint of the tourism sector, which adopts environmentally and socially friendly attitudes and initiatives. Besides tourist establishments can improve reputation, business and market share,” she added. Tourism’s impact on environmental domains such as ecosystems, beaches, wet lands, mangroves, forests, mountains, coastal and ground water has been a matter of concern for environmentalists in the state. “As a concept, energy audit and green building is a positive sign. But linking it to the concept of “green tourism” is not justified until there is a clear definition of what is green tourism,” said activist working on tourism issues, Roland Martins.
August 19, 2008 The Times of India, Goa edition
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