log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY APRIL 7, 2025 GOA US tariffs, RBI, Q4 buzz among 9 factors that could stir markets IN SHORT >> AEs can now enforce Water Act violations PANAJI: The government has notified the Goa Provision of Water Supply (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Goa Act 8 of 2025), empowering assistant engineers of the PWD to directly impose fines for violations under the Act. As per the amendment, a penalty of Rs 10,000 can be levied for contraventions related to domestic water consumption, while semi-domestic, commercial, and industrial violations can attract a fine of Rs 50,000. 15 contract jobs up for grabs at ESG PANAJI: Entertainment Society of Goa has invited applications for multiple contractual positions across various departments. The available roles include managerial, executive, and technical posts such as Manager (Marketing, HR, Technical), Accounts Officer, Assistant Managers, Senior Executives, and a Junior Executive (Attendant). The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 289 Inordinate delay in reconstituting Margao Cong block returns to haunt party leaders >> pg 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 3 GOA Blaring music from Baga shacks disrupts retreat house; authorities turn a deaf ear Pope makes shock appearance VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis made a surprise entrance to St Peter's Square during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick and health workers on Sunday, marking his first public appearance at the Vatican since his discharge from the hospital two weeks ago. The frail-looking pontiff waved at the crowd that stood and applauded him.   >> See pg 7 WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 34.2 C 25.6 C 73% TIDES Low: High: 01.31 06.30 12.50 20.11 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO World Health Day: Rural India’s healthcare challenge 9 SPORTS Clinical Gujarat Titans outclass Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wkts 12 Students back to school, CHURCHILL BROS TOPS I-LEAGUE, new term begins today BUT AWAIT AIFF’S FINAL WORD MONTH-LONG SUMMER VACATION IN MAY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In what is being seen as a major academic overhaul, schools in Goa are set to commence 2025-26 academic classes for Std VI to X and XII from April 7, with a monthlong summer vacation in May. As against its traditional schedule of June to April, this year,  the academic year for Class VI to X and Class XII will commence from April and end in March, while for students of Class I to V and Class XI, the term will start from June 4, 2025 and end in March. Considering the weather conditions, in April the classes will be conducted up to 11.30 am. Heat wave like conditions has been issued for Goa till April 9.  The summer break is scheduled for a period of 5 weeks start from May 1. All the middle, secondary and higher secondary schools, within the jurisdiction of Goa Board, have already issued directions to the students with All eyes on SSCE results today PANAJI: The results of Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) will be declared at 5 pm on April 7. A total of 18,838 students had appeared under the regular category. The results will be uploaded by the board on its websites -www.gbshse.in and http://results.gbshsegoa.net -- almost simultaneously after they are physically declared at the official press conference. Parents plan protest today PANAJI: Failing to get relief from High Court over commencement of new term from April, parents have decided to hold a protest outside the office of the Education department in Porvorim on Monday. regards to commencement of classes from April 7. This transition aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) is expected to facilitate timely completion of the curriculum and so also to meet the 220 instructional hours. The first term will be held from April 7 to October 15 while the second term will be from Nov 4 to March 24, 2026. The Chaturthi holidays will be from Aug 26 to Sept1 while Diwali break would be from October 16 to November 3.  Christmas vacation will be from Dec 24 to Jan 2. The DoE has asked schools to ensure that the First Summative will have to end by Oct 7 and the Second Summative exams to be held preferably before March 13, 2026. DIVINE MOMENT! Churchill Brothers finished provisionally on top of I-League 2024-25 table after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir FC in Srinagar, but their wait for the title and a promotion to the Indian Super League will hinge on AIFF Appeal Committee’s verdict THE MATCH „„Churchill Brothers FC Goa ended with a 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir FC at the TRC Football Turf in Srinagar on Sunday. „„Real Kashmir led 1-0 at halftime but Churchill equalised in the 50th minute POINTS AT STAKE „„Churchill Bros ended the regular season with a total of 40 pts „„Inter Kashi closed the campaign with 39 points „„If Inter Kashi is awarded 3 more points -- which they are contesting -- their tally will rise to 42, making them the I-League champions COMUNIDADE OF LOLIEM GRANTS 1 LAKH SQ MTS TO FRUITS FIRM 1 Colvale cops rescue kidnapped minor MAPUSA: In a swift and coordinated operation, the Colvale Police successfully traced and rescued a 17-year-old girl who had been kidnapped by a 23-year-old man. The breakthrough came after the Gujarat Police alerted Colvale Police, indicating that the accused was likely hiding within their jurisdiction.  >> See pg 2 Instagram.com/thegoanonline Devotees seek blessings of Lord Ram on the occasion of Ram Navami at Ram Mandir, Bhatulem on Sunday. Thousands of people thronged temples and participated in colourful processions across the country.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Soon, e-buses in Panaji to cruise without conductors on all routes THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI State-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) which operates the intra-Panaji city e-bus services for the 'Smart City' has said these buses will go conductor-less on all the seven routes within weeks. Earlier last week, the city e-buses began operating without a conductor for  ticketing on  three of the seven routes using instead pole mount validators for ticketing and fare collection -- the Altinho (green), Taleigao (orange) and Cujira (indigo) routes.  KTCL managing director Rohan Kaskar said the agreement with Imagine  Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) for operation of the  city  e-bus services itself mandates conductor-less service. "We did not implement it from day one of starting oper- ations in July last year to enable the users to first get used to the city bus services. Now we  have made three routes conductor-less. Soon we will implement it on all the routes," Kaskar said. KTCL's drivers of these e-buses have also been trained and are well versed with the digital ticketing system so they can assist passengers who face difficulties, he said. >Continued on P5 The Comunidade of Loliem-Polem in Canacona unanimously resolved to grant an aforamento of 1 lakh sq meters of land on lease to Mallikarjun Multi-Fruits Processing Producer Company Limited at their meeting on Sunday even as strong police force kept a hawk’s eye to avert any trouble or outside interferences at the venue. The lease will enable the company to utilize the part of property bearing survey number 358/1 in the Village of Loliem, Canacona Taluka, for various agricultural processing and farming activities. The key features of the lease are storage, processing, packing, and marketing the farm produce and the company will focus on handling farm produce from local farmers in Canacona taluka, Loliem-Polem Communidade President Vishwajit Warik told the media. 2 3 >> See pg 3  >> See pg 11 THE CONTROVERSY „„It relates to Inter Kashi's match against Namdhari SC on January 13 „„The latter won 2-0. But AIFF Committee later found that they fielded an ineligible player „„The committee awarded a 3-0 forfeit win to Inter Kashi along with 3 points „„Committee later put the decision "inoperative and in abeyance" until the final hearing on April 28 HEARTBREAK FOR FC GOA PANAJI: Bengaluru FC qualified for a record 4th final of ISL 2024-25 after a 3-2 aggregate win against FC Goa in semis. Though the Blues lost the second leg at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda by 2-1, their 2-0 win from the first game of this fixture earlier this week ensured that they entered the summit clash, with Chhetri starring courtesy of a decisive goal in the added time of 2nd half. Bengaluru FC will play the final on April 12 against winner of the semis tie between Jamshedpur and Mohun Bagan.  >> See pg 11 Zuari, Sal rivers at risk of worsening pollution STUDY POINTS TO SEWAGE DISPOSAL, FISH FARMING, CONSTRUCTION & URBANIZATION SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI Two of Goa’s major rivers -Zuari and Sal -- face significant anthropogenic pressures, including pollution from urbanization and untreated sewage leading to water quality degradation and severe impact on vegetation or plant composition and overall ecological damage, reveals a fresh study.  A joint study undertaken by the students of the Goa University and  Kyambogo University, Kaliro-Uganda reveals that both the rivers are under significant anthropogenic pressure, potentially leading to further increases in their pollution levels. The study “Impact of Anthropogenic Pollution on the Plant Species Diversity and Composition Along the Riparian Ecotones of Goa's Sal and Zuari Rivers’ was undertaken by Moses Musisi from the Department of Science, National Teachers' College, Kaliro, Kyambogo University, Kaliro, Uganda, Celly Quadros of Botany Discipline, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Goa University and Krishnan  Sellappan from the TOXIC TIDES: KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY „„Despite being at the land–water interface, conservation efforts have often been overlooked „„Main human activities along the rivers were sewage disposal, construction, urbanization, and fish farming „„Anthropogenic pollution has significant effect on plant composition „„Sewage disposal and urbanization emerged as most impactful activities while fishing had the least influence „„Urbanized areas along River Sal exhibited reduced vegetation cover „„Effects of water flow alterations, soil texture changes accelerate declines in riparian plant diversity „„Water pollution plays a pivotal role in mediating the effects of human disturbances on plant diversity department of Botany, Government College of Arts and Sciences, Quepem. Anthropogenic pressures are increasingly constraining the health of riparian ecosystems by exposing their remnant vegetation to edge effects. “Despite being at the land– water interface, conservation efforts have often overlooked how water pollution may indirectly exacerbate the broader impacts of anthropogenic pressures on riparian vegetation along riparian ecotones,” the researchers said adding >Continued on P5 Thousands rise against Trump’s policies in US India gets its first high-tech vertical-lift sea bridge in TN PTI NEW DELHI ver a century after the original Pamban bridge was built across the Palk Strait in Rameswaram, India launched a State-of-theart replacement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the New Pamban bridge -- the country's first vertical-lift sea bridge -- in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Located in the Ramanathapuram district, the bridge connects Rameswaram Island with Mandapam on the mainland. Modi also flagged off train service linking Rameswaram island to the rest of the country. Modi flagged off a Coast WASHINGTON Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of major US cities to oppose the divisive policies of President Donald Trump, in the largest demonstrations since his return to the White House. Opponents of the Republican president's policies -- from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties -- rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations. So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organised for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 States by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organisations, labour unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests. Thousands of protesters in cities dotting the nation from Midtown Manhattan to Anchorage, Alaska, including at multiple state capitols, assailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. PTI O ALL ABOUT THE NEW BRIDGE „„Bridge is 2.07 km long, spans across Palk Strait in TN „„Features a 72.5-mt navigational span that can be vertically lifted to 17 mts, allowing ships to pass below safely „„Substructure can support two railway tracks „„Connects Pamban (Rameswaram) Island with Mandapam on the mainland „„Bridge is cleared for train speeds up to 80 kmph „„Has projected lifespan of 100 years „„Uses stainless steel reinforcement, fully welded joints, high-grade protective paint Guard ship that sailed under the bridge and also laid foundation stone for and dedicated to the nation various rail and road projects totally worth over Rs 8,300 crore. In his address, Modi said the day marked the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami and that Lord Ram's good governance is the foundation for nation building. Modi underlined that this bridge is India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge, allowing big ships to sail underneath and enabling fast train travel. According to the government, the bridge, was a remarkable feat of Indian engineering and it was built at a cost of over Rs 700 crore. It is 2.08 km in length, features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train operations. Constructed with stainless steel reinforcement, highgrade protective paint, and fully welded joints, it boasts increased durability and reduced maintenance needs. Can withstand cyclones of high intensity NEW DELHI: The New bridge inaugurated by Prime Minister in Rameshwaram can withstand cyclones of greater intensity than the one in 1964 which substantially damaged the old bridge, a senior official on Sunday said. MP Singh, director (operations) at Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, said this bridge has been designed “to withstand a wind speed of 230 kmph as well as considerable seismic loading”.