Goa tourism industry tells MOE&F&CC to revoke forest clearances given to Mollem National Park as they are in direct opposition to the State’s vision plan

Prakash Kamat
Panaji,June 25-The Goa tourism industry,in a letter addressed to Union minister for Environment and Forest ad Climate Change Prakash Jawadekar says that forest clearances given to Mollem National Park should be revoked and are in direct opposition to the State’s vision plan.
On the 25th of June, 2020 more than 150 members of Goa’s tourism industry signed a letter addressed to Mr. Javadekar and Prahlad Singh Patel,Minister of State as Ministry of Tourism and Minister of Culture, officials from the Goa State Government and the National Board for Wildlife.
The signatories included stakeholders across the tourism industry– from hotel and restaurant owners to tour operators, guides and outdoor educators.
Signatories represented a diversity of tourism owners from North and South Goa as well as coastal and hinterland areas, including Mollem area, where the proposed projects are to take place in Goa’s largest protected area.
A number of signatories, who were based outside the State and bring large groups from across the country for technology, health, wellness, education and nature adventures were also concerned.
The appeal rebuked the boards that have sanctioned the clearing of forestland i Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, which are important destinations for environmental tourism operators and visitors in Goa.
“A fractured future lies ahead for the tourism industry if the value of biodiversity and ecological conservation is overlooked in making such industrial concessions,” said Pooja Rani, Co-Founder of Khoj-aao! Adventures, a member of the Responsible Tourism Collective and one of the signatories.
“We have to protect, conserve and promote Goa’s USP for everyone,” she added.
Another signatory, Farrokh Maneckshaw, a member of the Responsible Tourism Collective, who runs and built Laguna Anjuna Resort, an eco-resort based in the heart of North Goa in the 1990’s, echoed a similar point.
“If we don’t nurture our unique natural beauty, biodiversity and way of life,Goa will be irreversibly destroyed. Our tourism livelihood comes year after year because of this natural beauty. We cannot take this for granted and copy other destinations, which construct and build because they are not endowed with the same natural beauty. We should not kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” he said.
The letter stated that deforestation from these projects will adversely affect the future development of hinterland tourism, “which directly opposes the state’s 25-year vision (approved in 2019) to revamp the economy.”
The current tourism initiatives in the area will be detrimentally affected, as well.
Goa has been attracting tourists for decades with the combination of natural and cultural bounty. However, the state’s tourism industry has seen a 30% decline in recent years.
With shifting trends and increasingly unpredictable numbers, operators
across the board have stated the need to participate in sustainable environmental tourism approaches. The COVID-19 crisis has been a blatant hindrance to tourism in the foreseeable future and this has intensified the existing pressure on the industry.
While there is a call to create a state policy regarding the growth and standards of the tourism industry, the letter asserts, that sustainability principles that contribute to economic growth and increasing livelihood created by the State.
“In terms of hinterland tourism, I see huge potential for development and employment generation. Dudhsagar Waterfall has a huge captive audience and mass market, which does not even require advertising.
Collem village could position itself as the 'Gateway to Dudhsagar'.
Small improvements could go a long way in improving the guest experience and ensure year-round tourism. To ensure low impact and maximum value, this tourism segment should be promoted in the form of
small scale, locally owned initiatives specifically for agriculture and nature tourism,” added Ashok Malkarnekar, Partner at Dudhsagar Plantation.
The letter went on to state that hinterland tourism would not only increase State revenue and reverse declining employment rates, but also has an opportunity to emerge as a global leader, citing examples of how nature-based tourism in places like southern Africa and Costa Rica have proved to be successful. The letter states, “The benefits from developing sustainable hinterland tourism are for everyone— revenue for the State, an increase in youth and local community employment and a rich cultural exchange promoting Goan traditional and local culture.”
They called for the government to bring together local and experienced stakeholders to provide strategies that can be implemented with a keen interest to develop sustainable practices across the tourism industry.
At this moment, the State has the opportunity to preserve the surrounding environment and delicate ecosystems in order to salvage local resources and strengthen a suffering industry, while it still can.
They implored the government to take these concerns and act on these opportunities seriously to protect the State of Goa.(eom)