Respect for the laws of nature
Thomas Lobo
So-called natural disasters are not necessarily ‘natural’ as they often are, the result of uncontrolled and random human activities that have relentlessly disregarded and violated the laws of nature. The catastrophic consequences of all such activities are for all to see: unprecedented floods, landslides, desertification of once fertile and fertile lands, increased wave activity, frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones, climate change, etc.
A recent study by ISRO’s Center for Space Applications showing that Goa has lost a large part of its coastline to erosion should act as a wake-up call to consolidate our work and do more than what we are currently doing to save our coastline, from further degradation. Including our world-famous beaches. Urbanization of our rare beauty coastline, at a frenzied pace caused by the pace of construction, disregarding existing regulatory norms, and the tenfold increase in population density in coastal areas has created an unreasonable pressure on the environment. Goa is a fragile and ecologically sensitive stretch of coastline, which is already witnessing changes in its shrinking natural topography and contours. The response to such disasters is felt not only by the coastal inhabitants which mainly consist of a large fishing community, but also by all communities irrespective of caste, religion, creed, sex or caste, interdependent and connected to each other by family ties. Love which in our country is defined by the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
God, in His infinite wisdom, created everything and provided an inbuilt order and “grammar” in His creation that needs to be respected and preserved at all costs. By remaining faithful to God’s plan in creation, we ensure our sustainability and the well-being of all. Let us learn to respect the laws of nature drawn by our Creator God who owns the earth and everything in it, and join hands with each other to make this earth a better place to live for present and future generations.
In the context of Goan, this tiny coastal state on the west coast of India nestled between the forested Western Ghats and the azure Arabian Sea is a tourist’s paradise that has a lot to offer for a perfect vacation, from stunning natural beauty to a relaxed life-style, unparalleled hospitality to scrumptious cuisine and more. many things But this hotspot of rich biodiversity, supported by an eco-system of complex nature, is sensitive to sea-level rise and changes in climate patterns. Also, with a view to boosting tourism, the magnitude of human activities witnessed in Goa’s coastline in the past few decades, with little or no consideration of its carrying capacity, has put spokes in the wheel of the regulatory system, further exacerbating the murky drowning scenario. In such a situation only a serious and sustained will will determine the people responsible for protecting the natural resources of the state including our mountains, rivers, estuaries, reservoirs, wetlands, beaches, etc., coupled with remedial and necessary measures on the ground. Whether Goa proceeds on a path of self-preservation or self-destruction.
