log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY AUGUST 10, 2024 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 17 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 54 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Govt’s panel blames Sattari landslides on deforestation VULNERABLE AREAS, VILLAGES TO BE STUDIED FOR STABILITY, SAYS CM THE GOAN I NETWORK page 8 Thousands of Goans attend UK Goan Festival in London Acclaimed Goan dancers Jason and Sylvia now groove in UK Ministers, MLAs embark on Delhi trips as Assembly session ends THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The trend of Goa’s politicians dashing off to the national capital has begun in earnest  no sooner the  monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly concluded on Wednesday. At least three Cabinet ministers and some legislators have taken off for  Delhi reportedly to meet some central ministers and follow up on  some development proposals. Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai are in Delhi but the specific purpose of their visit is not clearly known. Mandrem MLA, Jeet Arolkar and Congress’ Aldona MLA, Carlos Alvares Ferreira are also currently in Delhi.  More cabinet ministers are expected to also travel to Delhi over the  weekend and this politicians’ rush to the national capital may have been triggered by the signal that came from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of a possible cabinet reshuffle at the end of the monsoon session, sources said. IN SHORT >> Rainfall surpasses seasonal average PANAJI: Goa has received 3,443.1mm of seasonal rainfall so far, surpassing the normal 2,241.4mm for this period and exceeding the seasonal average of 2,976mm – from June 1 to September 30.  >> See pg 2 ST quota bill now in next LS session PANAJI: As both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die, the bill to reserve constituencies for Scheduled Tribes in Goa Assembly has been postponed to next session of the Parliament. SC grants bail to Manish Sisodia NEW DELHI: Supreme Court granted bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia and sharply rebuked the courts below saying his long incarceration without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice.  >> See pg 9 PANAJI The three landslides in Sattari may not only be attributed to heavy rains but also to deforestation that occurred at some point in the past. A government-appointed committee observed that deforestation allowed water to continuously penetrate the hills, reaching depths of up to three kms, weakening the soil. This likely led to the landslide when it eventually gave way. After a crucial meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, prompted by the Wayanad landslide and concerns raised in the just-concluded Goa Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the committee – granted a three-month extension – will TACKLING LANDSLIDES: CHECKS & BALANCES „„Govt to prioritise surveying landslide-prone areas, particularly vulnerable small villages „„Development activities on hills endangering villages to be halted „„Construction licenses, if issued, to prioritize surveying landslide-prone areas, particularly vulnerable small villages. Sawant also directed that development activities on hills that could endanger these villages will be halted immediately. “To investigate the causes behind the landslides in Sattari including the recent one be revoked if threat perception is detected „„No construction or agriculture can take place if it destabilizes the place „„Early warning system to be set up to mitigate risk of future landslides at Malpem, the Committee embarked on a two-hour trek through the affected areas and meticulously examined the terrain. Their findings suggested that while heavy rainfall was one factor, deforestation was a likely contributor to the disaster,” the CM said after chairing the meeting at the Secretariat on Friday.   SC refuses to postpone NEET-PG exam PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Friday refused to postpone the NEETPG examination scheduled for August 11, saying it can’t put the careers of two lakh candidates in jeopardy for five students who have filed the petition. The top court dismissed a plea seeking deferment of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Postgraduate) (NEET-PG) which claimed that candidates have been allocated cities that are high- ly inconvenient for them to reach. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said judges are not academic experts.  >> See pg 9 The government had appointed a committee headed by then-Collector Mamu Hage which also included officers from related disciplines, experts and members. According to the Committee’s report, the CM added, deforestation in Sattari allowed water to intrude deep into the hills and this saturation weak- ened the soil, ultimately triggering the landslide. “We have extended the tenure of the Committee by three months to expand its investigation to other landslide-prone areas and identify those not listed yet. The focus will be on assessing the stability of villages nestled below these hills where developments are taking place. If any risks are identified, development activities will be immediately stopped,” he stated. The CM also made it clear that construction licenses, if issued, will be revoked if threat perception is detected. New guidelines will also ensue for all departments including Revenue, Forest, Public Works Department, Town and Country Planning, >Continued on P7 North Collector gets show cause notice for communication lapse THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In what could be a first, North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte was on Friday issued a show cause notice for failing to inform key disaster management officials about a crucial State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) meeting scheduled on the same day. The notice, issued by Revenue Secretary and SDMA Member Secretary Sandip Jacques (IAS), questioned why action should not be taken against her for the oversight and has been given 72 hours from the receipt of the notice to submit her explanation. The meeting, held at Mantralaya at 11 am, was convened by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, also the SDMA Chairperson, to examine the causes of landslides in Goa and to propose restoration measures. The Principal Chief Engineer (Public Works Depart- ment) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests among other key department heads were not present for the meeting, due to the alleged communication lapse. “It has been observed that due to notices have not been delivered to important functionaries involved in disaster management such as PCE-PWD, PCCF and a few other relevant HODs. It is expedient that as Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, North, you ought to have been more cautious in the matter of issuing notices to relevant officers, as there were many modes of communication including important WhatsApp groups and even telephonically, more importantly as the meeting was convened by SDMA Chairman/CM,” the SCN stated. The notice was issued with the approval of the Chief Secretary, who is also the CEO SDMA and has asked Gitte to reply within 72 hours.