The judas who sold Zulpea xett

467Fwd: Goanet Digest, Vol 4, Issue 1085--9. “Zulpea Xett” No More (Freddy Fernandes)

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Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:18:12 +0530

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Message: 9

Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:24:59 +0400

From: “Freddy Fernandes” <ffernandes.dgj@emaar.ae>

To: <goanet@lists.goanet.org>

Subject: [Goanet] “Zulpea Xett” No More

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“Zulpea Xett” No More

“Zulpea Xett” a low lying field which use to remain water logged during the rainy season, would be a centre of sporting activity during the rest of the year, most of the Schools around Cuncolim use to hold their annual sports meet on this beautiful and one of the best natural turfs, which infact could put a

lot of artificial turfs of today to shame, apart from the school sports, football, cricket and hockey games were played at this venue, over all, it use to be a natural habitat for the sweet water life and frogs during the rainy season, one use to also see a lot of birds like the cranes around this water logged ground but it use to be a hub of sporting activities after the rains.

I use to see thousands of people, young and the old gathered around this ground to watch the sporting activities, whenever I use to pass by and use to admire natures gift to the people of Culvaddo, near Sanvorcotto.

This particular ground was gifted to the Cuncolim Union, which is a mighty powerful body in the Cuncolim social and political strata, headed by president Elvis Gomes, a former tourism director, the well known politician Ramesh Dessai as it’s secretary, of late this body has become a law unto it’s self, they have filled up this beautiful natural turf without any clearance from the Land Conversation Authorities, they have committed an offence of illegally filling up the paddy field without the permission of the South Goa planning and development

Authority, the filling up of the paddy field attracts penalty under section 7 of the Town and country planning act. A high ranking Police Officer, another elite of the Cuncolim Union and it’s vice president had been trying to build a road on the other side of this ground, where he has his property, for a long time, which was opposed by the locals and now he is served on a platter, how very convenient ? Now with the powerful politicians and the police together with their own agendas, law becomes a bystander, this is the law of the “jungle” known as Goa today.

If you are powerful enough you can get away with practically anything, If the law makers and the protectors of the law, themselves do not adhere to the laws, what it the point of the laws or are the laws, only for the underprivileged and the Aam Aadmi ?

Elvis being a former tourism director should have been in the fore front in protecting the environment but instead, he is a party to the destruction of the environment. I do feel sorry for the people of Culvaddo, most of whom oppose this destruction of nature but have no voice because of the powerful political lobby within the Cuncolim Union, I am very much surprised that the environmentalists as well as the well known journalist like Guilherme Almeida and Armstrong Vaz, sons of the soil have not come out strongly against this issue, the very people who have shown great concern for the environment all over Goa have failed to raise a voice in their own backyard, probably what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.

Pen is said to be mightier than the sword, but here most probably the repercussions of standing against the powerful elite of the Cuncolim Union have made their pens run out of ink or their ballpoints and nibs somehow turned into jelly. It’s a real pity that mother nature has been let down by it’s sons in Cuncolim.

Filling up of this field will certainly affect the water levels from here on, during the rainy season, we have seen what a cloud burst did to the residence of Canacona, playing with nature is as dangerous as playing with fire, development at the cost of nature is not what is required in Cuncolim or for that matter in

Goa, our political elite have shown very little respect for nature and ecology, hope the flood in Canacona is an eye opener for our Politicians and Authorities alike, for a clearer vision.

Save the environment, save Goa