Paradise Lost: South Goa Pays for its Popularity

SANJAY_DEL

Goa's newspaper, Herald, in today's edition published a commentary on what it calls, the death of Canacona, the area around Palolem beach.

"Today, Canacona is indeed on the tourist map of the world, not for its natural heritage but for its star hotels and naturopathy resorts and for the sun, sand, wine, women, and drugs that are a part of their hedonistic culture.
"Canacona is in the news for illegal land deals involving hundreds of hectares of land, conversion of arable land to non-agricultural uses, destruction of mangroves, pollution, deforestation, liquor smuggling, wood smuggling, wild life and turtle hunting, drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling, AIDS, erosion of values, sex and extra-marital affairs and unemployment.
"Luxury resorts have taken over the beaches.
The Konkan railway has ripped through the heart of Canacona..

“There are scores of foreigners selling their bodies and giving AIDS to a frustrated and careless youth,”...

Some truth to it or just a paper trying to sell a few extra copies?

http://oheraldo.in/node/22148

puppydogben

I have to say that while it all does seem slightly exaggerated, I went back to Palolem in October for the first time in three years and was upset, almost heartbroken. Firstly there was the 'drama' with the pulling down of all the beach huts, then there was the sheer number of people and also the people just burning plastic on the beach in front of all the bars/ restaurants.
I think the problem with Palolem in particular is that it has become a victim of its own success, it used to be a place to get away from the north of Goa and chill out but now there is no difference other than Palolem's natural beauty. Ketamine bottles everywhere.

__________________

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Year after year after year
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Up the Owls!

cyberhippie

Actually it's a load of crap!! That's just about the worst article I've read anywhere!!

Let puppydogben write the next one, at least that's honest!!

Shikari

The article is certainly not flattering but I don't think it can be dismissed so easily. I don't know about the prostitution or HIV but it is certainly true about the uncontrolled development.
Development is unavoidable and obviously some locals have benefited from tourism but it seems likely that many have suffered from the change to their traditional way of life and issues such as access to beaches. If the issue is whether the area still has the standard of natural beauty which it possessed ten years ago then the answer is a resounding "No!"

cyberhippie

I would agree with that last comment entirely!! But the luxury resorts, HIV, prostitution, turtle hunting and lots of other stuff is just a load of bollix!!

I'm afraid you can't eat tradition, the coastal waters of Goa are fished out, coconuts/rice make no money, neither does Feni anymore.
Ask locals and they'll agree that life has changed in some ways for the worst but most will live with that in order to put food on the table!!

cyberhippie

You know I'm finding I dislike this newspaper more and more. It's alarmist at best and sometimes out and out racist!!

The huge list of complaints lodged against tourism in Goa from these journelists, are blown out of proportion much of the time and fly in the face of the fact, that most of coastal Goa lives from tourism in one way or another!! These journos have no stake in this of course, so like to fan the flames of dissent!!

I'm not saying Goans should put up with everything for the sake of tourism but the state of play on the ground is rarely as bad as newspapers make out!!

Shikari

Unfortunately that is the nature of journalism.
"CANACONA-NOT AS NICE AS IT USED TO BE", doesn't sell a story whereas "DEATH OF GOA'S LAST PRISTINE FRONTIER", does.

cyberhippie

True!