log on to thegoan.net Facebook.com/thegoan @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2024 14 pages GOA PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.244 Anjuna structures: Govt to challenge HC order in SC PANAJI: In a bid to protect the livelihood of the locals, running business with valid permissions at Anjuna, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government will challenge the Bombay High Court order directing sealing of 175 structures operating in No Development Zone (NDZ), before the Supreme Court.  >> See pg 3 HC seeks timeline on Sonsodo works PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the Margao Municipal Council to give a timeline within which they will complete the pending works at Sonsodo garbage site. “The response should take into account the status report filed by the Managing Director of GWMC,” the High Court ruled. 3 houses razed in airport funnel zone VASCO: Three more houses were demolished as Mormugao Planning and Development Authority continued its drive on Tuesday to partially raze houses in the airport funnel zone at Dabolim based on height restrictions.  >> See pg 3 HC grants pre-arrest bail to panch PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has granted anticipatory bail to Krishnakant Chodankar, a panch of the Salvador do Mundo panchayat who was booked in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.   >> See pg 3 Water pipeline ruptures at Tivim MAPUSA: Water flooded some houses near Dhumaskar Hospital in Tivim, after a 700 mm underground water pipe ruptured on Tuesday. The incident is reported to have taken place at about 4 pm when the underground water pipeline suddenly ruptured and vast amounts of water began to flow on the road. >> See pg 2 Sonia elected to RS from Rajasthan JAIPUR: Sonia Gandhi was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday, officials said. BJP's Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore were also elected unopposed. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 33 C 22 C 86% TIDES Low: 03:42 High: 08:28 15:13 22:34 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 14 2 9 hillock raises Wave of shock over rape Shivaji statue onthan answers more questions cases of 2 minors in Goa HC directs MMC to deal with untreated sewerage flowing into drains IN SHORT >> The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) GOA Dairy business curdling for Sanguem dairy farmers PANAJI he deteriorating air quality in Delhi and its adjoining areas, including Haryana, has prompted several families to relocate to Goa, turning what was once a holiday destination into their permanent home. The decision to leave behind familiar surroundings hasn’t been easy for many but relentless air pollution drove many families to take the leap. “My children couldn't breathe in Delhi. So, I enrolled them in a medical college in Himachal Pradesh to pursue their MBBS. While we managed that, my mother’s respiratory problem worsened. Hence, we moved to Goa with the help of my relatives who T World Team TT C’ships: India eves beat Spain, advance to Round of 32 Tips on how to make your hands soft UNEASY CALM PREVAILS IN SAO JOSE DE AREAL IN THE FIRST CASE VICTIM GIVES BIRTH; IN THE OTHER CASE FOREIGNER ACCUSED FLEES COUNTRY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI After two consecutive attempted murder cases last week and disturbing vehicular accidents, the State has been shaken by two cases of rape involving minors as victims. Both these First Information Reports (FIR) have posed a challenge to the department given that in the first case, the victim has already given birth while in the second, the accused, a Russian national, has fled the country. In the first case, a 22-year-old man from Karnataka has been arrested by the women's police in Panaji for allegedly raping and impregnating an underage girl. The victim, whose pregnancy was unknown to her family, gave birth to a healthy baby just recently. Sources said that accused Hanuman Galli „„In the first, a 22-year-old man from Karnataka has been arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating an underage girl „„The accused befriended the girl who lived in the same locality and raped her multiple times THE TWO CASES AT HAND allegedly befriended the girl, who lived in the same locality, and raped her multiple times while threatening her against revealing the incident to anyone. “Her pregnancy was not known to anyone, including her family, until she gave birth. Her parents then approached the Pernem police to lodge a complaint, which was registered and subsequently handed over „„Pregnancy was not known to anyone, including her family, until she gave birth „„Her parents then approached the Pernem police to lodge a complaint „„In the second case, a Russian camp organ- iser fled the country as allegations of sexually and physically assaulting a 6-year-old during a night camp at Arambol surfaced „„The incident occurred while the child was away from her mother, who was also attending the camp to the women's police station,” sources stated. The newborn has been admitted to Apna Ghar for care and protection, while the accused is booked and sent to police custody on charges under IPC Section 376 (rape), Sections 8 and 8(2) of the Goa Children’s Act, and Sections 4 and 8 of the POCSO Act. In the second case, a Russian camp organiser, identified as Ilia Vasulev, allegedly fled the country as allegations of sexually and physically assaulting a 6-year-old during a night camp at Arambol surfaced followed by an FIR against him. The incident occurred while the child was away from her mother, who was also attending the camp, earlier this month. FOUR YEARS AFTER BEING DRAFTED… Finally, winds of change over climate change plan STATE GEARS UP TO TAKE MITIGATION MEASURES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa government is all set to operationalise its much-delayed State Action Plan for Climate Change (SAPCC) 2023-33, almost a year after it was approved by the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Interestingly, the crucial document that warns about possible significant impact of climate change on all key economic sectors in the State was approved by the State Cabinet way back in 2020. The plan prepared by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), was approved and adopted by the State Cabinet in October 2020, while the Union Ministry granted its approval only in February 2023. The plan will enable the State to take adaptation and mitigation measures to deal with climate change. The State’s move to set up a Blended Finance Facility with the help of World Bank, is a first step towards operationalisation of the SAPCC. “The facility will help in operationalisation of Goa’s KEY FINDINGS OF THE PLAN „„15% of land in Goa, much of it in coastal zone, is vulnerable to flooding from extreme rainfall or sea level rise „„Redesigning regional plan, use plan maps of vulnerable areas „„All large infrastructure projects need to State Action Plan on Climate Change (2023-2033) which entails building institutional and technical capacity, investing in resilient infrastructure, re-skilling for high-productivity jobs, and orienting the local economy around more resilient livelihoods,” official said. “We agree that there has been a delay in implementing the action plan but there is lot of funding involved covering almost all sectors. The initial delay was on part of Union Ministry, that had sought several clarifications on the plan before granting its approval. For nearly one and half be assessed for climate vulnerability „„Diversifying tourism sector from coastal tourism „„Comprehensive study of hydro-geology of underground water in mining areas „„Maintenance of water resources year, the plan was lying with them,” official said. The SAPCC seeks to adopt a holistic approach in all spheres of development such as transportation, power sector, agriculture, forest, fisheries and allied sectors, environment and waste management, water, tourism, mining, human health. It also focuses on mitigation and adaption strategies across these sectors. The total budget required for implementing the SAPCC has been projected to be Rs 465 crore for 10 years, which works out to be Rs 46.5 crore >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 SC declares AAP’s Kuldeep as mayor of Chandigarh PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared defeated AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar the mayor of Chandigarh after overturning the result of the controversial poll where the BJP nominee had emerged an unlikely winner, in an unprecedented intervention to set right a brazen attempt by the returning officer to rig the election. It ordered prosecution of returning officer Anil Masih, a BJP leader, for “serious misdemeanor” for making an allegedly false statement before the court that he had invalidated eight ballots because they had been defaced. Exercising its plenary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice, the apex court said the result declared by the returning officer, a nominated councillor, was clearly contrary to law. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said in such a case, the top court was duty bound, particularly in the context of its jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution, to ensure that the process of electoral democracy is not allowed to be thwarted by subterfuge. Delhiites make beeline to Goa to escape pollution THE GOAN I NETWORK SPORTS INFO THE ALLURE OF COASTAL PARADISE „„Rising air pollution in Delhi prompts families to permanently relocate to Goa „„Delhi consistently ranked among most polluted cities „„Recorded a peak in January with an average PM2.5 concentration of 206 micrograms per cubic meter are settled in South Goa,” Dr Narendra Srivastava, a resident of Anand Vihar, told The Goan. Srivastava along with his wife and mother are currently living in a rental apartment. He now intends to either set up „„Recent Delhi’s AQI reached 150, prompting warnings for sensitive groups to limit outdoor activity his clinic or collaborate with a private hospital to continue his profession. His wife, on the other hand, plans to take a sabbatical before going back to her passion for painting. Delhi has often remained at the top of the most polluted „„Delhiites making Goa their new home not only settle in but also explore entrepreneurial ventures „„Work-from-home concept and Goa's climate attract retirees, business relocations „„Delhiites emphasise that Goa's weather & air quality are notably better than Delhi cities. In January 2024, its pollution levels were recorded at the highest with the average PM2.5 concentration at 206 micrograms per cubic metre. Moreover, on Tuesday, the air quality index stood at 150 – considered to be unhealthy. “Health effects can be immediately felt by sensitive groups. Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. Limit outdoor activity,” an air monitoring portal posted. This shift to Goa has been gaining traction for past years with an upward trend observed since Covid-19. Praveena Sharma, a freelance journalist, has been residing in Goa since 2017, courtesy of her husband's job in hospitality that led to a transfer. The family settled in Dona Paula, finding respite from the challenges of Delhi's metro life, including pollution and traffic. “In early 2017, when my >Continued on P5 GUILHERME ALMEIDA MARGAO A Muslim land owner, the donor of a piece of land; Shiv Premis, who have installed the statue of Shivaji Maharaj and inhabitants of a village predominately dominated by the Christian community, opposing the statue on grounds it is beings installed without permission. As an uneasy calm prevails in the sleepy village of Sao Jose de Areal over the installation of the statue of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a host of questions have come to the fore over the reasons behind installation of the statue in a hilly and interior area in Areal village. In the words of Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai, “local villagers ought to have no problem with the statue since it has been installed away from human habitation on a hillock not accessible by road”. A host of unanswered questions, however, have come to the fore since then. One, when statues are being installed for people to pay respect, what was the reason for installing the statue away from human habitation, where the property in question is an isolated and hilly area, not accessible by a motorable road? Another question is why the statue has not been installed in the property belonging to the owner, located close to the road? Is it because the statue, once installed, would pave way for road access to the undeveloped property, which is presently not accessed even by a kutcha road? Again, when the property owner Sartaj Makandar approached the Panchayat on February 9 seeking permis- Shiv Premis carry the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be installed at Sao Jose de Areal on Sunday. Santosh Mirajkar QUESTIONS TO PONDER „„What is the reason for installing the statue away from human habitation? „„Why was the statue not installed in the property belonging to the owner located close to the road? „„Is the statue installed to pave way for a road to the undeveloped property? „„Why was no mention made about the statue when the owner had applied to the panchayat to raise a PCC platform? Won’t allow land grab in Shivaji’s name: Min PANAJI: Minister for Archaeology Subhas Phal Dessai reiterated that any attempts to grab land or involving in commercial activity under the guise of honouring Chhatrapati Shivaji at the installation site will not be allowed. "I will see to it that under that banner, if illegalities happening in the name of Shivaji Maharaj, I won't keep quiet," he said responding to allegations by the Opposition. He went on to add that "If there's attempt of land grab or plots are being sold for commercial use, I won't allow it to happen." sion to make 8x3=24 square metre PCC platform in survey no 229/5 at Areal, why was no mention made that PCC platform was for the statue? On Sunday, Makandar pointed that he had issued NOC to Shiv Premis to install the statue on land admeasuring 100 meters in his property >Continued on P5 ON PAGE 2 FIR lodged against 20 Areal locals Private or public property: Areal p’yat claims NOC mandatory Villagers call for meeting on Thursday