By Rajan Narayan

ALL Goan villagers should emulate the example of the lovely island village of Chorao. At the jetty which is the entrance to Chorao village banners are up with messages proclaiming sentiments such as “Welcome to Chorao, our island NOT FOR SALE.” The residents of Chorao Island are agitated over a report that khazan lands in the Kerem area of the island has been targeted for construction of floating villas and watersports activities.
Local Eusebio D’Silva has expressed a fear that the marina project will block the natural flow of saline water through the mangrove area, threatening the delicate eco-system of the island. Besides the fact that a large part of the land comprises of khazan lands and mangroves, Chorao island doubles as the only wild birdlife sanctuary in the state. This is the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary which is a national and international attraction for bird watchers.
Chorao is an island of intellectuals and the home of former vice chancellor of the Delhi University ……. Recently, one of the oldest residents of Chorao, Dr Chico Vaz, former head of the Neurology department at the Goa Medical College & Hospital, passed away at the venerable age of 90 years.
Chorao is the biggest of several riverine islands in Goa. Technically of course Chorao is not an island as it is connected to Bicholim by a narrow road. The fact that it is perceived as an island and it is difficult to access except via ferries, it enjoys a protected island status which greedy real estate developers may not eye for development of condos.
Leading the fight against the concretization of the island is Salvador Fernandes, “weighing machine king” of Goa. I’ve had the privilege of visiting and even spending a night at Chorao, a lovely resort very close to the Chorao Bird Sanctuary. The panchayat of Chorao has made it clear that it has not received any applications for mega projects so far.
However, a Delhi party has illegally constructed a private jetty for his luxury yacht. This jetty has no access road and the area of the bundh has been used to create an access road. A special gram sabha meeting is being conveyed to direct the panchayat not to entertain instruction licenses from mega housing projects.
The heritage island of Divar has also been strongly resistant to real estate sharks from putting up projects on the island. Unlike Chorao, Divar can only be reached by ferry from Panaji, Ribandar and Chorao. The residents of Divar who include famous national personalities like supercop Julio Francis Ribeiro, have repeatedly refused proposals to build a bridge between Ribandar and Old Goa to Divar. At present, not only private cars but also public transport buses, have to take the ferry to reach Panaji or Ribandar.
Divar is a historic village with two very famous historical churches dedicated to Cosmo and Damien, the patron saint of pharmacists. Pascoal Menezes, founder of the CMM Group, hailed from a Divar island village home. Several owners of pharmaceutical companies live in Divar village. Besides the church there is a legend associated with the Shree Saptakoteshwar Temple at Narva was reportedly destroyed by the Portuguese. Excavation have recovered parts of the temple complex destroyed and it has been restored. The temple is visited by Hindu families in and out of Goa. Induy is a great attraction for the Hindus. Divar is also famous for the Bonderem flag festival which is celebrated on August 16, a day after Indian Independence Day annually.
When the Bonderem festival comes around every year the residents of various wards in the village island build floats and march with colorful flags. They also engage in mock battles with improvised guns shooting out hard peas for bullets. Divar villages have extensive green paddy fields which have been painstakingly managed to protect their distinct identity over hundreds of years.
The identity of the island was threatened when the diocese of Goa sold little Vanxi islet just off Divar to a real estate firm from Bengaluru. The builder had drawn plans to build a marina for birthing international luxury yachts along with suitable facilities for accommodation and sophisticated watersports like para climbing and para surfing. However, in the wake of stiff local opposition to the project, the promoters backed out.
Recently, the Investment Promotion Board of Goa cancelled the license for the marina project. The Tourism department of the government of Goa floated a tender for developing 8,000 sq mts of land on the slope near a heritage church for eco-friendly cottages and other tourism facilities. But the panchayat of Divar has strongly opposed this project.
As of now there is only one luxury eco-resort in Goa and this is Devaya, which originally was started by some locals but later taken over by the late businessman Victor Albuquerque. The island is dependent on the mainland for most everything including potable water, power and essential commodities. It cannot sustain any major development real estate projects for it is a river island prone to what happens to the main river Mandovi over time.
There are many other smaller islands in various parts of Goa. On the approach to the Dabolim airport and Vasco city there is the very pretty St Jacinto Island. At the centre of the island is a historical 400-year-old church. There are not more than a hundred houses in the little village access to which is through a single road from the highway to the village. So far proposals for putting up villas or even water sports facilities on the island have been strongly opposed as it will affect the ecology of the island. The island offers the most popular livelihood of harvesting clams which grow plentifully in the surrounding shallow waters.
Not many know of Bat Island, about a kilometer away from Baina beach at port city Vasco da Gama, this has become popular for its clearer waters offer deep sea diving and snorkeling adventures. We recall going to Bat island in a boat with a glass bottom through which one could see marine life in the depths of the water including the growth of coral reefs and colorful shoals of fish. Bat island has been taken over by the Indian Navy.
Then there is butterfly beach at Palolem near Canacona which may be reached only by boat. You may see the widest range of butterflies out here; then there is Granty island still used for water sports activities like deep sea diving. All along the islands of Goa dolphin cruises are organized for tourists during the season.
When I first came to Goa in the 70s we had to take two ferries to get to Panaji city. There was no Zuari or even Mandovi bridge. We took the bridge from Cortalim to cross the Zuari and from Ribandar to cross the Mandovi River to cross over to Panaji. Goa was a very pleasant green state and there was hardly any traffic in Panaji. Panaji was also an island of sorts and you could not go down south Goa without crossing the Zuari river by ferry boats.
I am inclined to think that mindless development in Goa has been aggravated by the building of too many bridges and highways across Goa. In many places from Taleigao to Morjim fresh roads have been constructed through paddy fields for the benefit of real estate developers. Something of the old Goa can be preserved only if every village gram sabha comes out openly against mega constructions. The Cortalim panchayat has already shown the way with the hunger strike by the former sarpanch, Premanand Naik. A strike to oppose the Bhutani project continues. Similarly, in Reis Magos, heritage activists are opposing the mega DLF luxury real estate project. Goans will be forced out of their villages if land sharks take over.