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https://m.goanews.com/news_details.php?id=938 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/tauktae-alters-high-tide-line-at-galgibaga/articleshow/83267924.cms http://dol.goa.gov.in/schemeforpublicationinofficiallanguage http://www.thegoan.net/Goa/Goa-Vision-2020-%28Section-2%29/Fixing-Goa-for-the-future/02528.html http://goemkarponn.com/threat-of-permanent-change-in-course-of-galgibaga-river/ https://www.navhindtimes.in/2021/06/03/goanews/post-cyclone-experts-fear-more-damage-to-galgibaga-sand-bar/ https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/The-Sunday-Roundtable/dr-nadaf-fears-occurrence-of-landslides-in-future/08770 https://itsgoa.com/loliem-sea-cave-goa/ http://www.navhindtimes.com/story.php?story=2008121650 https://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-urine-tests-in-goa-for-early-detection-of-kidney-ailments-1415385 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/experts-suggest-scientific-management-of-spits/articleshow/8869718.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/goas-spit-choked-rivers-cry-for-attention/articleshow/8869711.cms?from=mdr https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Cyclones-changing-course-of-Galgibaga-River-experts/153318

CANACONA AND MIGRATION

It is found that the bulk of families from rural areas of Canacona taluka, along with their children migrate from here to cities like Margao, Vasco, Ponda and Panaji in the hope of securing admissions in city schools.

While the Government of Goa claims that it is providing the best of education in rural areas, parents migrate and don’t mind the expense of high fees as they claim that their wards can get a better education here. After some study on this issue, it has been discovered that for the last 8-10 years, the cities of Margao, Vasco, Ponda and Panaji have a considerable number of children from Canacona taluka receiving the so-called better education.

Though detailed facts and figures of student migration from each village in Canacona taluka is not available, rough estimates suggest that most are from Loliem Maxem, and Agonda areas; on the whole they constitute about 7-10 per cent of the total population of Canacona.

In the course of a short survey, NT learned that a sizeable number of parents do not look into the type of education their children would receive, but the repute and the fame these schools possess.
Most parents also agree that it is the availability of tuition and tutors that make them migrate.

Ms Nalita Gracias, a teacher, who migrated to Margao feels that it is professionalism and glamour that attracts people to cities as this is missing in rural areas. Also other facilities like coaching classes and other co-curricular activities/facilities like music, sports etc are mostly available in cities rather than in villages.

Ms Nalita says that she moved to the city because she wants her two sons to get the best of education, which to some extent is not available in Canacona. "When you give your children access to well-developed schools, you can identify their talents properly and channelise them in right direction," she said.

She also agrees that when a person moves from a rural area to urban and developed cities, initially it is quite tough to adjust.

"Most migrants are between the ages of 25-35 years. It is this age group that wants to enhance their economic status and enjoy a life-style which they feel is not offered to them in the village," feels yet another parent who wishes to remain anonymous.

While most of the families are today aware of quality education, they do not mind spending and moving off to far away places. However, in the course of time urban areas will definitely feel the crunch of natural resources and as such many people will be forced to return back to their village, said Mr Prabhu Gaonkar, a resident of Canacona.
He says that he has migrated for a short time and will surely return back to his village as he has ancestral property there.

Educationists from Canacona say that the thought of attending schools far away is not a contributing factor. Schools today are located in close proximity. Besides, the government has been focusing for the last 5 years, on creating the best of infrastructure to basic schools including the provision of electricity, water connection, toilet facilities etc, feels SSA coordinator, Mr Kamlakar Mhalshi, and further adds that all this should be implemented immediately if out-migration must stop.

When asked if the government needs to do something in this regard, the answer is a vehement yes. There are really good avenues for developing the infrastructure needed for the children, but the government has to be very positive in its role and implementation and the same must be done on priority.

In the compound of the SSA at Nagorcem-Canacona, there is enough space for creating infrastructure. All that needs to be done is for the government to apply its mind. The government has already acquired land in front of St Theresa of Jesus High School at Chauri for sports facilities. It may be recalled this very land was acquired when Mr Sanjay Bandekar was the Sports Minister, but this too has been lying vacant for quite some time.

Ms Michelle Vaz, a school teacher from Margao, presently teaching in a high school here, feels that in the name of migration, the void created may be filled in by migrants from other states.

While it is true that better educational facilities, better shopping and marketing facilities etc are readily available in cities, the fact remains that if the same is created here, the per cent of people migrating will definitely minimise and people would prefer staying in their ancestral homes.

Dr F M Nadaf, a senior geographer of Shri Mallikarjun College of Arts and Commerce, Canacona, in his in-depth study on migration feels that migration is a universal phenomena and Canacona is no exception.

Canacona experiences both in-migration and out-migration. Migration takes place due to pull and push factors. Pull factors are responsible for in-migration and push factors are responsible for out-migration. Kankonkars have been migrating to other parts of Goa for various push factors. Some of the push factors that force Kankonkars to migrate are are poor educational facilities, lack of basic necessities like drinking water, electricity, health and connectivity, kidney problems, no jobs, industrial backwardness, overall economic neglect, and poor political will.
For the last half a century, Canacona has remained the most neglected taluka of Goa.

The state of Goa boasts that some of its socio-economic indicators are at par with some of the developed nations of the world. But the reality in Canacona is totally different. There are many remote areas of the taluka like Cotigao and Gaondongrem where people are forced to walk a long distance to go to the nearest bus stop. No motorable roads, poor health care facilities, no tap water, no sewerage lines and above all not a single day goes by without uninterrupted power supply.

It is evident from the historical records that once Canacona was a learning centre even during Portuguese regime. People from Margao, Quepem, Karwar and other neighboring places used to travel to Canacona for taking high quality education. But the quality of education has degraded and has forced many to migrate.

Kidney problems are another factor that forces the people of Canacona to move out. It is reported that about 80 per cent of the kidney patients admitted in GMC are from Canacona.

Keeping this in mind, the government started a Kidney Treatment Centre but it suffers from basic infrastructure. The present industrial estate has become ‘ghost-town’ due to lack of basic facilities.

In last one and a half decade, Shree Mallikarjun College has brought a big transformation in the field of higher education. About 1000 students have graduated from this college especially from the backward sections of the society. To these educated youths, tourism has become a livelihood.

Of late, tourism has arrested the out-migration of educated youths to a certain extent, but what Canacona needs today is political will to develop that which is lacking.

CANACONA AND DEVELOPMENT

The Minister for PWD and RDA, Mr Churchill Alemao, on Saturday, laid the foundation stone for the academic block of Dnyan Prabodhini Mandal’s Shree Mallikarjun College of Arts and Commerce, Delem-Canacona.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Alemao said he is ready to do anything for the people of Canacona and for their development. He also took this opportunity to advise students to respect their parents and elders and to make the best use of this opportunity in life. He also stressed the need for quality education.

Mr Alemao also stated that the neighbouring state of Karnataka has over 2 lakh Konkani speaking people, hence the merger of these people with Goa state would be a boost towards the development of the state, he said.

The Canacona MLA, Mr Vijay Pai Khot, praised Mr Alemao for his work and felt the need for starting a science wing in the college, and requested the Minister to assist the college management in every possible way, in this and other requirements.

Dr Dhillon Desai, who was instrumental in getting this project sanctioned, said that Canacona was once a center for learning, but, due to various reasons, it lost its charm, he said that the Mallikarjun College would bring back the lost glory by providing quality education.

Mr Ratnakar Dhuri, chairperson – CMC, also spoke on the occasion and requested the Minister to pay special attention to Canacona and towards its development. Mr Ramdas A Mazalkar, chairman of Dnyan Prabodhini Mandal and retired conservator of Forest and a torch-bearer of the institute, in his presidential remarks expressed gratitude to Mr Alemao, for sanctioning the project quickly, and requested him to assist the college, which is providing quality education to various sections of the society, especially the downtrodden.

The programme was attended by Mr Sandesh Gaonkar, vice chairperson - CMC, Ms Vandan Velip, sarpanch - Sristhal panchayat, Mr Prakash Gurav, former engineer - PWD, Mr G P Pilarnekar, project director - DRDA, Mr Sanjay Walvekar. assistant engineer - zilla panchayat, Mr Prakash Lavande, engineer, Mr Gangesh Salgaonkar, junior engineer - PWD, Mr Nandu Suktankar, architect, Mr Rajendra Desai, joint secretary - DPM, Mr Mahendra Desai, treasurer - DPM, councillors, panchas and citizens of Canacona.

Principal, Dr Jagmohan Singh welcomed and introduced the guests and Dr F M Nadaf, vice principal, proposed the vote of thanks. Dr Rupa Chari compered the programme.

CANCONA AND LANDSLIDES

Senior faculty of Shri Mallikarjun College Dr F M Nadaf has stated that there is every possibility of the repetition of October 2 incidents of landslides like opening up of the Kuske mountain in other regions like Khola in future. Dr Nadaf was speaking while giving an audio-visual presentation on nature’s fury in Canacona taluka during the October 2 floods on National Science Day observed by Canacona Rural Science Centre of Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, Goa, in collaboration with Shri Damodar Vidyalaya, Loliem, at Loliem recently.Scientist and member secretary with Goa State Council of Science and Technology Dr Joseph D’Souza also gave audio-visual presentation and spoke of Canacona floods on the occasion. During open discussion, State awardee teacher Ulhas Bhatikar opined that Konkan Railway bridge built over Galgibaga River in some way was also responsible for the Canacona floods that razed over 90 houses and rendered over 2,000 people homeless on October 2 last Year. Chandrakant Prabhudessai, Vikas Dessai and Vishwas Prabhudessai were some of the people who took part in the discussion. Interestingly, some speakers said reports prepared on the issue and submitted to the State government continue to lie in cold storage, as no follow-up action of any nature was visible in the entire taluka.
Prizes to the winners of last years Science exhibition Shri Nirakar Vidyalaya and Shri Damodar Vidyalaya were awarded, while Chandralekha Mestry and Devendra Tawadkar were felicitated by presenting mementos for shining at State level in the field of Science during the current year. dr Manohar Prabhudessai was honoured for successfully working in medical field in USA for the last 40 years. Earlier, Damodar Science Club group presented a welcome song, Shri Damodar Vidyalaya Headmaster Shambu Prabhudessai welcomed the gathering. Rural Science Centre, Canacona, President F Y Prabhugaonkar proposed the vote of thanks, while Secretary Datta Moni compered the function.

CANACONA AND ITS RIVERS

The rivers of Galgibag, Talpona and Saleri have developed spits at their mouths over the years. This may threaten the identity of rivers, explains Dr F M Nadaf, an associate professor in Geography at Shree Mallikarjun College of Arts and Commerce, Canacona.

Dr Nadaf further said that a spit is a long narrow accumulation of sand, pebbles, or shingles with one end connected to the mainland and the other projecting out into the sea or across an estuary due to deposition by onshore drift. Geomorphologically, such features are very common to coastal areas.

Due to the increase in size of the spits, all the three rivers are becoming narrower. The latest satellite image shows that the mouth of the river Saleri is 18 meters, river Talpona is 30 meters and river Galgibag is 44 meters. In the past, these rivers had wide open mouths, Dr Nadaf pointed out.

If the present rate of deposition near the mouths continues, in the decades to come, these rivers will turn into lakes. The rivers are not only becoming narrower, but also becoming shallower.

The riverbed of these rivers is visible to the naked eyes during the low tide. This will have very serious impact on Canacona and its people. It will affect the agriculture and fishing activity, said the associate professor, adding if the mouths of the rivers are closed, the sea will not be able to supply saline water to these rivers and this will affect the rare mangrove ecosystem.

“Due to decline in the depth of rivers because of siltation, the water-carrying capacity of these rivers has and will decline further. Such situation would result in flooding and submergence of fertile agricultural tracks,” he observed.

Talpona, Galgibag and Saleri spit formations have matured and become solid projections over the years, he pointed out adding hence, there is an urgent need to de-silt rivers and scientifically treat the spit formations. Unscientific treatment will lead to serious ecological problems including gushing of seawater into the river thereby destroying the entire area.

Dr Joseph Rauto D’Souza, chief scientist, DST, is of the opinion that there is an urgent need to study these coastal formations microscopically by using remote sensing and geo-spatial techniques to avoid any disaster in the future.

“Over a period of time along and with a change in wind direction, the end of spits becomes a hook like structure, as observed at Galgibag River. These geomorphic zones are potentially highly vulnerable to sea-level rise which could cause the low-lying areas and associated tidal flats to be permanently inundated and lead to major erosion of the supra-tidal areas, which happened during the floods in Canacona on October 2, 2009,” he said.

During spring tide cycles low-lying areas of the spit, get completely inundated. Over prolonged time scales the sandy barriers have become stable and with sufficient sediment supply, will grow with a rising sea-level,” he said.

Talking about morphology features in rivers, the scientist said, “When the wave movement at times cannot go beyond the spit, due to break in the wave energy, under this condition a sheltered area is formed where silt is deposited and mud flats or salt marshes form.

This is a unique estuarine feature which is developed in the Zuari river, at the Agassaim village. Barrier spits are actually bars that cut off a small part of water inland; the body of water becomes a lagoon which is conspicuous at the Mandrem village beach”

CANACONA AND KIDNEY AILMENT

Medicos in Goa will undertake a gigantic exercise of collecting urine samples of more than 40,000 people from Canacona taluka to demystify various kidney diseases, which have risen at an alarming frequency in this southernmost corner of the state.

Except children below ten years of age, urine samples of everyone (nearly 44,000 people) in the taluka will be collected and tested from August 15 onwards, Dr Shekhar Salkar, President, Indian Medical Association of Goa Unit told PTI today.

"Once we detect suspected patients through urine diagnosis, their blood would be tested so that the treatment can begin at once," Salkar said.

A group comprising doctors, para-medics, anganwadi workers and volunteers has been formed for the project with the help of State Directorate of Health Services and Manipal Group of Hospitals.

The tests would be conducted to quantify protein, albumin and red blood cells (RBC) in the urine.

Canacona taluka has emerged as a trouble area with kidney ailments attaining alarming proportions over several decades.

Rough estimates point out that of the total patients admitted in state-run Goa Medical College (GMC), 80 per cent are from Canacona taluka.

"Almost one out of two persons from Canacona belong to Pagi or Velip community. These communities are high risk groups for this disease," Salkar said.

According to Prof FM Nadaf, a geographer about 70 per cent of the people from Canacona taluka on an estitmate are suffering from kidney ailments.

The government record indicates that there are 394 kidney patients in this taluka, of which 94 are regularly taking dialysis at the state government hospital.

An Urban Health Centre at Canacona has conducted 25,000 dialysis since 2003, when the machine was commissioned there.

"The problem here is acute. There are large number of people who realise that they are suffering from kidney ailments at much later stage," Vasudeo Pagi, a journalist from this taluka, said.

Pagi lost his father and aunt to this disease.

Repetitive studies by Goa government through private agencies have failed to pinpoint the reason behind the kidney cases.

"I personally feel that the cases may be basically because of chemical composition of water in this area," Nadaf said.

Dr Salkar said that till now many studies are conducted but no cause could be identified.

"Now we want to have early diagnosis so that there is early treatment," he said.