Goa State’s private forests on the decline

Vanishing act: State’s private forests on the decline
According To Survey Some Areas Don’t Satisfy Classification Criteria
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: With Goa’s coastal areas becoming prime property, the forest cover over them is fast disappearing. Take the case of Reis Magos in North Goa or Agonda in South Goa, where huge chunks of private forests have disappeared.
“A good deal of the forest has been illegally felled or burnt. Forest department officials say that they can only control what happens on government forests,” said environmentalist Claude Alvares. However, under the Trees Act, 1984, the department does have the power to intervene in private properties if trees are cut. But this is rarely done.
“If Goa continues to lose its greenery, we will lose tourists. We want development but there cannot be blatant cutting of the trees and destruction of natural resources,” said former president of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), Charles Bonifacio.
Of the total 7031.2 hectares identified as private forest land in the Sawant and Karapurkar committee reports prepared in 1999 and 2002, about 2887 hectares no more fall within the private forest area.
Rubbishing allegations of destruction of private forests to construct homes, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, Goa, Datta Naik said, “We will treat private forests as eco-sensitive zones. However, there is confusion regarding private forest areas as the survey is incomplete and is ambiguous. But once the area is earmarked, we will definitely adhere to the rules and regulations”.
Data submitted by the forest department in the high court reveals that while in Siolim 133 hectares were identified as private forest by Sawant and Karapurkar committees, only 4.40 hectares remain. In Arpora, of 50 hectares, only 3.9 are now earmarked as private forest land. In Pernem, of the 10 hectares earmarked as private forest, nothing remains. The same is the case with Agonda which had 15 hectares of private forest.
Of the 120 hectares private forest land at Pomburpa only 8.16 hectares remain, while in Siridao of the 44 hectares identified, only 2 hectares are now identified as private forest.
The situation in rural Goa is not very good either. In Poinguinim, of the 385 hectares earmarked as private forest, only 106 hectares remain. In Bainguinim, of the 50 hectares, now 19 hectares come under private forest area. Of the 60 hectares private forest in Pilerne, only 20 hectares remain. In Raia, of the 25 hectares earmarked by Sawant and Karapurkar committee, only 6.80 hectares forest has been identified. Loutolim, Sulcorna and several other villages have lost more than half of their private forest cover.
According to forest officials, a survey of several private forest areas revealed that they were found to be non-forest areas as they didn’t satisfy the criteria for classification as forest land. But environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar alleged, “Private forests have been destroyed to give way to development projects and siltation will soon increase”.
However, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Nitin Kunkolienker said, “To state that private forests have been destroyed for construction would be wrong. Earlier, wrong data of private forests was given. But after the survey, the correct picture is coming forward,” he added.
September 5, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Raheja borewells at Verna under scanner

ALL’S NOT WELL
Raheja borewells at Verna under scanner
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Four borewells dug by SEZ developer K Raheja Corp at the Verna industrial estate to meet their construction water needs got them a show cause notice from the water resources department, asking why action shouldn’t be initiated against them for violating the Goa Ground Water Regulation Act.
In response, Raheja has admitted to digging the bore wells and said the four borewells were dug, “before the notification of the scheduled area.”
Confirming this, executive engineer and ground water officer, Margao, H M Rangaraju said, “We had issued show cause notices to two companies, one of them being Raheja, as they had dug bore wells without permission. Raheja later obtained permission from the Goa Industrial Development Corporation and has submitted an application to us to register the same. But we are yet to decide on this.”
Raheja spokesperson Shabbir Kanchwala stated that they are currently buying ready mix concrete and so require less water and once the factory is operational they will be recycling water. “We will create water bodies like ponds, water falls and fountains in our campus. We will use recycled water and will not discharge it into existing waste or storm water lines. Besides, bottled water will be provided for drinking. This will not burden the existing water discharge infrastructure in the state.”
The Raheja move has upset the Loutolim village panchayat members, who have passed a resolution demanding the closure or capping of these bore wells which have dried up the natural spring in the village.
They informed the water resources department on June 4, 2008 about this and requested the department, “To take immediate steps to revoke all permission issued and stop issuing any further NOCs for sinking bore wells in Verna industrial estate.”
Raheja also plan to harvest rainwater. “We will utilise the topography scientifically to recharge the ground water table with run off water from the monsoons. In addition to above, all our IT buildings will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green buildings. Hence we will promote economical use of water and power,” said Kanchwala.
It is pertinent to note that Raheja, in their application to GIDC, had stated that they would require 40 lakh litres of water a day. In the lease deal, GIDC had stated that they shall not be liable or responsible for the supply of water to the SEZ and the company should make their own arrangement for water during the construction stage.
September 2, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa:Erring hotel owners to be pulled up

Erring hotel owners to be pulled up
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The North Goa collector will issue show cause notices to 42 hotel and lodge owners who have rented their premises without furnishing the particulars of the tenants to the police inspector of the concerned police station.
This is the first time that the authorities will initiate action on erring establishments, who have failed to follow the North Goa district magistrate’s order dated June 27, 2008. The order directed that landlords, owners of houses and property intending to rent accommodation to any person should do so after furnishing information to the police. The collector’s office will take action based on a report submitted by the police.
“We have proposed to issue a show cause notice to 42 establishments for violation of the magistrate’s order. Under section 188 of the IPC, we can take action against such erring establishments,” said North Goa additional collector Swapnil Naik.
The order was issued with an aim to maintain a check on renting of premises as it was felt that the possibility of terrorists, anti social elements in guise of tenants seeking hide outs in residential areas
was high and also because there was a likelihood of such types of individuals creating a breach of peace, disturbing public tranquility and endangering human life and property especially during the tourist season.
The report was prepared by each police station with a request to initiate action under section 144 CrPC against erring hoteliers and lodge owners for failing to produce a copy of photo identity cards in respect of guests who check into their premises. Of the 42 establishments, 24 in Mapusa and 4 in Calangute had rented their premises. Besides, 10 hotels and 3 lodges in Calangute had allowed people to stay in their property without furnishing information about the guests. In Anjuna, one shack had allowed guests to reside there without asking for identity proof.
“We have sent details to the collector for further action”, said SP North Bosco George. The police, in their report said, “Some people don’t cooperate in furnishing information of their tenants, thus causing hardships” and have called for strict action from the collector to ensure that no one is allowed to reside in a rented premise without providing photo identity proof.

August 31, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition