GOA’S KONKAN RAILWAY

20 KILOMETRES TO KARMA

The Konkan Railway, unless shifted about 20 Kms. eastward to the midlands, will destroy a rich an precious heritage in Goa.

Alfredo is a fisherman and farmer of the Kazanlands*. He and his ancestors have lived off the harvest of its estuaries for many generations. They look forward to a better future drawn from the rich and growing potential of Goa’s aquaculture industry....

Maria lives in Old Goa. As church bells crack through the peaceful silence, she walks confidently down by-lanes of the lovely old city whose ambience speaks eloquently of hundreds of years of history, to a time well before the Portuguese...

Mopu farms fertile paddy fields in the district of Salcete in South Goa. He is proud of the village, Seraulim. He and his neighbours have always lived here. But, a disturbing thought wrinkles his brow. The new embankments of a high-speed rail road track are hacking away at the land. His village will disappear, and along with it, their ‘Communidade’ and a way of life....

All three persons represent the socio-economic history of Goa’s coastal lands through several countries. But, today, their future is in jeopardy.

Their land stretches languidly and undisturbed beneath sun- washed skies. And, as the eye focuses beyond, the rhythmic rise and fall of foam-crested waves plays an endless tune against Goa’s coastal shores.

This natural paradise, India’s own unpolluted Hawaian pleasure spot, occupies a 55 kilometres stretch between Mayem and Bali. This tiny area within one of India’s smallest States, shelters a unique biological environment, as well as a historic and cultural heritage - the Wetlands and Kazanlands with their famous bird sanctuaries, the exquisite island of Divar, the city of Old Goa and the centuries-old settlements of Salcete.

These four distinct areas - each with unique characteristics, have recently become heartlands of concern and controversy as a massive intrusion of development threatens to wipe out the gift of centuries - the physical and human environment of Goa.

Raising the dust of jangling controversy is the present alignment of the Konkan Railway’s coastal route. Unless someone sounds the whistle-stop soon, when completed, the coastal route will cause gigantic dimensions of destruction to the environment and the socio-cultural and economic perspectives of Goa’s richest region.

The entire Konkan line from Mangalore to Roha measures 760 kilometres. The dispute is about a mere 10% of this route - the 55 kilometres stretch between Mayem and Bali. The entry points in the North and South of Goa are not under dispute.

A shift of only 20 kilometres to the east of the planned coastal alignment to the Midlands, along the foothills of the Western Ghats (a mere increase of around 15 kilometres) would halt the grim prospect of environmental destruction, and degradation of the quality of life. The feasible Midlands route is desirable in the interest of ‘sustainable development,’ based on integrating ecological & economic criteria. Purely railway development criteria, confined to cost factors and technical considerations, are self defeating.

Judgements on art, culture and charm do not lend themselves to quantitative analysis. The parochial charm of Goa’s villages and the Goan way of life are inextricably linked to its physical surroundings, the sea, landscape and as yet still largely unmarred beauty.

The Goa’s full potential for tourism hinges on a national and international recognition of this & its culture & historical uniqueness. The potential is such that its worth in economic terms (currently, Rs. 45 crores in foreign exchange annually) has prompted the Government to accord tourism the status of an industry. The point is that the economic value is secondary, based on unquantifiable qualitative values. But, the coastal route does serious damage to these indefinable and very desirable attributes.

On the other hand, the economic worth each year of renewable resources of the Kazanlands is worth many Konkan Railways. More easily assessed, for example, is the loss of aquaculture potential in terms of shrimp farming for export. Investment in shrimp farming in all the maritime states of India is now reaching a peak. Goa has maximum prime land (Kazanlands) for shrimp farming in relation to its geophysical area. It is in recognition of this that Goa’s Master Plan 1987 envisages a thriving aquaculture industry, using indigenous technology. At present, railway construction has already obstructed shrimp farming investment in many Kazanlands. Marcaim & Divar are two such examples. The loss of foreign exchange on account of shrimp farming in just 1,000 hectares, is Rs. 200 crores each year, whereas, the cost of the KR coastal route is a one time cost of Rs. 150 crores.

But information does not amount to culture and we may not, except at an unacceptable cost to ourselves and society, reduce all things to a numbers game of economic vs uneconomic. Arguments of the cost of a re-routing and the time factor involved are absurd irrelevancies. Civilisations take thousands of years to evolve and indeed the sensitive district of Salcete has a settled history of over 3000 years.

The Coastal Alignment & Eco-Systems

Coastal aquatic ecosystems are transitional ecosystems which are dynamic and contain unique aquatic resources. They are amongst the most fragile. The present KR coastal alignment by transecting the major water systems of Goa has inherent irreversible ecological impacts on its Wetlands, including the bird Sanctuary at Carambolim and its Kazanlands. By imposing physical barriers in the form of embankments or landfills, the KR cuts through the aquatic ecosystems, impeding the natural glow of tidal water and restricting the distribution of aquatic life with possible devastating consequences. The Kuttanad (in Kerala) disaster provides evidence, 15 years later, of the effects of such artificial barriers.

The report of the Agricultural Land Development Panel of the Government of Goa states that the Kazanlands of Goa must be studied "not as individual units, but as integrated systems specific to each esuarine region, flood plain and river basin which influence their ecology." It also states that any bund - like raised structure with a broad platform for constructing a road or a railway track will cause divisions are loss of drainage pattern, of the huge fertile Kazanlands at Carambolim, and other place.

These agricultural land use systems along coastal Goa have existed for many thousands of years and are a result of vast inputs both in terms of human effort and knowledge through trial and error methods spanning many generations of local farmers. The experience culled is invaluable and incalculable. It is certainly in the best scientific tradition.

On the other hand, the solution suggested by KRC of channel openings in the embankments are precisely the sort of narrow technocratic responses that fail to reassure; and empirical evidence suggests that ‘technological solutions’ should be viewed with every caution.

There is also evidence that hills are being cut to provide earth fill for the massive embankments. At the Zuari river for example, the proposed embankment is 13 metres high requiring 80 truckloads of earthfill per metre! It is disquieting thought that large areas of Goa will be devastated to procure earthfill for the long and wide embankments that are required for the rail route, especially at major navigable river bridges.

Culture & Heritage

Goa’s villages are unique examples of decentralised, self-sufficient, ‘urbanised’ settlements, but without the urban ban problems of congestion & skewed urban development. These goals are being keenly espoused globally. In Goa, this is the entrenched pattern and has been a practised way of life for centuries. The charm of Goan settlements is in their smallness and subtle blending of town and country living.

A basic objective of the Regional Plan is to preserve & "protect’ this socio economic environment, to avoid over-urbanisation through an optimal use of infrastructural development. "The present relationship between urban and rural areas where villages are closely connected to urban centres by an efficient network of road - is proposed to be maintained."

The proposed railway line through Salcete, (which has settled history and civilization of over 3000 years), will bisect, divide and destroy the ‘societal ecology of this most sensitive & vital taluka’ (district).

Keen qualitative judgements of this kind will not be comprehended by ‘outsiders’ because they deal with a ‘way of life’ & culture of a people. The benefit of the doubt should therefore be with the Goan people who want a diversion of the proposed rail route, especially when a viable alternative is available.

Similarly, the accoutrement of Indian rail, its paraphernalia of commercial activity, noise and filth (because of a lack of on-board sewage carrying facilities) is hardly conducive to maintaining the ambience of the city of Old Goa. Heritage and culture, & deep sense of history do not amount to a mere listing of buildings and monuments, no matter what their individual archaeological merit. This would only satisfy narrow, technical criteria and result in narrow, technical solutions.

Goa’s Development

Urbanization patterns & concentration of industrial activity reflect a high degree of regional imbalance in development in favour of the Coastal Districts. The urgency to redress the situation was amply recognised and is reflected in the Regional Plan 2001. A major infrastructural development like a railway must take credence of the State’s gazetted Regional Plan and transport planning criteria. The KR coastal route flatly contradicts the central objective of the development strategy for Goa on both counts and thus, loses credibility. It contributes little to the economic development of the Midlands/Hinterland of Goa which rightly provide the nucleus for new development. Major new industrial locations are sited in the Midlands, but need to be developed.

The new development must include mining related, value-added industries, to reduce dependence on the vagaries of an export market. Goa’s exploitation of her reserves has thus far been impossible because of a lack of a link with the mainland of India and energy resources. The zerflaring plan will render significant quantities of natural gas from the Urban and Hajira off-shore platforms. The option for piped gas to Karnataka creates an opportunity for Goa to obtain a vital source of energy for generation of power. A Midlands KR route fulfils the other prerequisite.

The Midlanes Imperative

The Midlands Route makes consummate sense. It avoids issues of serious dispute presented by the coastal route. From the view point of development criteria, an urgent need to ’push’ a major transport infrastructure away from the coastal route into the Midlands belt, is abundantly clear. The route borders the mining areas & potential industrial centres. Most importantly, its impact on forest cover is minimal. No game sanctuaries are effected. Between Mayem in the North and Bali in the South, the route approximates 70 kilometres and will meet the present meter gauge line (to be converted to BG) at Sanvordem. There are others significant points which support the Midlands Route.

The Menezes report envisages no technical objections to a railway in the Midlands.

Aerial photographs and an examination of Midlands route show that tree cover is already severely effected due to ore exploitation. The future impact on forest cover will also be mining related. It is estimated that a railway corridor through this area will cross mainly light tree cover and that too for only 25-30 kilometers of its length. Thus, its impact on forest cover is not only minimal and sustainable, it is also a largely irrelevant debate.

On the other hand, it will allow immediate access for track laying, to the vast quantity of mining rejects (750 million tonnes) currently piled up and causing severe environmental damage, including silting of rivers due to soil run-off from deforested areas. Certainly, no new burrow pits should be made or hills cut to find earthfill, and thus vandalize the landscape.

It provides an opportunity for short non-controversial feeder lines in the mining & industrial areas according to future needs.

The over-urabanization of Margao is an acute problem. Sanvordem on the Midlands route provides an excellent opportunity for development of alternative urban centres.

The truth is that  a railway corridor  in the Midlands  will have  no impact on forests.

The 100 yr old metre gauge line connecting Marmago port to the mainland of India will be converted to broad gauge within 2-3 years. This crucial decision by the Central Government, just 6 months old, infact demolishes the argument for linking the Konkan Railway to the Port via the Verna-spur. The junction of the KR and the to-be-converted MG line should be at Sanvordem-Curcholim in the midlands. This is the enormously sensible answer; and a unique opportunity with the right blend of planning and imagination, to create a new riverine tourism (as a counterpoint to the usual beach focus), and a first class inland container port.

Conclusion

Evidence against the coastal route is thus overwhelming. In stark terms, it vandalises Goa. There is however one thing against the Midlands Route - more accurately, three things. These are the absence of three bridges to span the Mandovi and Zuari rivers at a prohibitive cost. And there lies the rub. Will these three major bridges on the coastal route determine Goa’s ultimate Karma because they are unnecessary in the Midlands?

by Aruna Rodrigues

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