log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 320 PAGE 6 THURSDAY MAY 8, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan Instagram.com/thegoanonline >P 12 Rohit Sharma quits Test cricket RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Families of Pahalgam attack victims hail response to Pak INDIA CLOSES 25 FLIGHT ROUTES TO PAKISTAN OPPOSITION EXTOLS ARMED FORCES FOR ‘BOLD’ ACTION YOUTH DONATE BLOOD, CIVILIANS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ARMED FORCES MUSLIM BODIES EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH FORCES INDIA STRIKES WITH ‘SINDOOR’; PAK SEES RED ARMED FORCES STRIKE PAKISTAN, PoK UNDER OPERATION SINDOOR, DESTROY 9 TERROR CAMPS IN 25-MINUTE-LONG PRECISION OPERATION; PAK ARMY CLAIMS 26 KILLED, 46 INJURED; JeM CHIEF ACKNOWLEDGES 10 FAMILY MEMBERS, 4 CLOSE AIDES KILLED PTI NEW DELHI India's armed forces destroyed nine terrorist infrastructure including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a 25-minute-long “measured and “non-escalatory” missile and drone strike early Wednesday in retaliation to the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India decided to carry out the “proportionate” strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam attack to justice as there was “no demonstrable step” from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control. Misri said India's actions were in line with the UN Security Council's statement about holding perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the Pahalgam terror attack accountable. Under 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian military targeted Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot and LeT's base in Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and its camp in Muzaffarabad's Shawai Nalla, military officials said. The operation was conducted from 1:05 am to 1:30 am Black smoke signals no pope elected in first conclave vote VATICAN CITY: Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signalling an inconclusive first vote by cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel in a conclave to elect a new pope to guide the Roman Catholic Church. Thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square waiting for smoke to pour from a narrow flue on the roof of the chapel at the end of a day rich in ritual and pageantry, with prelates praying for divine guidance in their secret ballot. The crowds had to be patient as it took longer than expected for the smoke to appear, more than three hours after the start of the conclave. This was an hour more than it took for smoke to be seen. >> See pg 8 and all the targets were neutralised with clinical efficiency, two women officers – Col Sophia Qureshi of the Army's Corps of Signals and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot of the IAF – said at a media briefing alongside Misri. Around 15 minutes after the operation ended, the defence ministry said: “A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.” It said the actions by the Indian Armed forces have been “fo- PG 3 GOA ON HIGH ALERT PANAJI: With Goa on high alert, air sirens were kept ready, selective areas witnessed power blackouts, rescue teams were deployed and a mock Mandovi bridge collapse scenario was enacted during a large-scale civil defence exercise ‘Operation Abhyaas’ on Tuesday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has stated that Goa has been kept on high alert, being a coastal state. "Both districts have been kept on high alert. Goa is a coastal state... coast guard, police and others are also on alert,” he said while addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting. 2 flights cancelled at Dabolim airport cused, measured and non-escalatory in nature and that no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted”. “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” the ministry said. Military sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring 'Operation Sindoor' closely. Following the operation, he held a meeting of the Union Cabinet and hailed the Indian armed forces for successful strikes. In his remarks, Misri said the Indian military carried out the “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible” military strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure to “deter and pre-empt” any further terrorist strikes. Hours after the Indian operation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country has every right to give a “befitting reply to this Govt rethinks amending Devasthan Act after tragic Shirgao stampede PROPOSAL AIMS TO STANDARDISE CONDUCT OF RELIGIOUS FESTIVITIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Against the backdrop of Shirgao temple stampede, which claimed six lives and injured over 80 people, the Goa government is once again considering amendment to the Devasthan Regulation 1933, in the larger interest of citizens and ensuring any move does not hurt the religious sentiments and flare law and order situation. The fact-finding committee, constituted by the State government to investigate the CONTROL OF FESTIVITIES The fact-finding committee is expected to recommend to the State government for an immediate need to amend the regulations to have a standard procedure for conduct of festivities and have a strict government control on conduct of the festivities, etc stampede that took place during the Shree Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao, last weekend, has deliberated on the issue and is of considerable view that the Devasthan Regulations need to be amended to make State government as party to the functioning of the temple committees. Highly placed sources confirmed that the fact-finding committee is expected to recommend to the State government for an immediate need to amend the regulations to have a standard procedure for conduct of festivities and have PROCESS TO DETERMINE PERMISSIBLE NUMBER OF BEACH SHACKS PANAJI After almost seven years, the Goa government has initiated a process to conduct a revised beach-carrying capacity study of the coastal belt. The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) – the nodal agency for undertaking the exercise, has appointed National Institute of Oceanography for the detailed study, which is expected to be completed before the upcoming tourism season. B eyond a military operation, India's 'Operation Sindoor' carried deep symbolic weight, honouring the women widowed in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. This powerful intersection of national security and gender representation was Colonel Sofiya underscored by the briefing led by Wing Qureshi Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. Colonel Qureshi delivered a resolute message on India's response, detailing the intelligence-driven strikes that precisely targeted terrorist camps, ensuring no harm to Pakistani civilian or military Wing Commander sites. The decision to place these accomplished women officers at the fore- Vyomika Singh front of the announcement powerfully affirmed India's dedication to inclusivity and recognising women's crucial roles in the armed forces. THE NINE TARGETS A building damaged by an Indian missile attack near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, on Wednesday. (Right) Local residents walk through rubble of a building damaged by an Indian missile attack, in Muridke. Coastal body appoints NIO to conduct revised beach-carrying capacity study THE GOAN I NETWORK MESSENGERS OF ACTION REGULATE BEACH SHACKS „„Goa government initiates a revised beach-carrying capacity study after nearly seven years, aiming for completion before the next tourism season „„The study will assess the number of beach shacks that can be permitted, considering CRZ areas, no-development zones, and ecologically sensitive regions „„The State government suggests allowing temporary structures in no-development zones (excluding eco-sensitive areas), based on CZMP 2011 and CRZ 2019 norms Sources confirmed that GCZMA has issued a work or- der to NIO for assessing the beach carrying capacity of the coastal belt and to recommend the number of shacks that could be permitted based on the saturation and considering the no development zone cum CRZ areas, ecologically sensitive areas, etc. It was in 2017, that the last beach-carrying capacity study was undertaken through the Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM). The NCSCM had permitted 1,131 shacks for the entire coastal >Continued on P8 a strict government control on conduct of the festivities, etc. “The issue was discussed by the fact-finding committee in detail,” sources said. Taking note of a series of instances of rising conflicts between Mazanias (Mahajans) and other community members or villagers over temple rights, resulting in disturbing peace and causing law and order situations, the Government in January, 2023, proposed before the Goa Legislative Assembly its plan to >Continued on P8 act of war imposed by India”. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, said Islamabad is ready to “wrap up” tensions with New Delhi, if it de-escalates the situation. The Pakistan Foreign Ministry described the Indian strikes as “unprovoked” and that the Indian military has violated Pakistan's sovereignty using standoff weapons. The Pakistan army said at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in these strikes. JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar acknowledged that 10 members of his family and four close associates were killed in India's missile attack on the outfit's headquarters in Bahawalpur. Act of war: Pakistan pledges retaliation ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has accused India of committing a “blatant act of war” and promised retaliation after New Delhi launched deadly missile attacks along their contested border in disputed Kashmir, in the worst eruption of violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades. In an address before Pakistan’s parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced as “cowardly” the attack carried out by India, as he repeated Islamabad’s assertion it had nothing to do with the April 22 Pahalgam attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir region. He said Pakistan’s response to the attack, which included the downing of Indian fighter jets, proved that the country was prepared to “knock enemy planes off into the sea”. Zatra stampede: Fact-finding panel to submit report today THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The fact-finding committee, constituted to investigate the stampede during Shree Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao, will submit its report to the State government on Thursday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said. Addressing a press conference post cabinet meeting, Sawant said that the cabinet members observed a minute of silence for the Lairai Zatra stampede incident and held discussion on it. “The fact-finding committee will submit its report tomorrow (Thursday). We will brief public on the findings of the com- mittee,” he said. The committee is led by Commissioner-cum-Revenue Secretary IAS Sandeep Jacques, with Deputy Inspector General of Police Varsha Sharma, Transport Director Pravimal Abhishek (IAS) and Tikam Singh Verma as its members. The committee is investigating the tragedy that claimed six lives and injured 80 others. The committee has recorded the statements of Collector Sneha Gitte, Superintendent of Police Akshat Kaushal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi, Deputy Collector Bhimnath Khorjuvekar – who all are transferred from the jurisdiction following the incident. The committee also met the members of the temple committee, some Dhond and villagers. As reported earlier, the Committee has noted that a similar incident on a minor scale was witnessed even last year; however, no injuries were reported. The incident, infact, took place at the same site, where it happened in the wee hours of Saturday. The committee has also observed that despite the narrow road, temple committees allowed stalls on both the sides of the road and also ignored some of the precautionary measures recommended by the police. Reservoir levels dip below 30 pc in key areas as Goa awaits showers THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA number of key reservoirs across the State have recorded a steady decline in water levels, largely attributed to the lack of adequate pre-monsoon showers. According to data from the Water Resources Department (WRD), at least three major reservoirs have dipped below 30 per cent of their storage capacity, while only two dams – Chapoli and Gaunem – have reported levels above 50 per cent. The Anjunem dam, which supplies water to Sattari and A DIP IN WATER LEVELS: A CONCERN? „„Several key reservoirs in Goa have seen a steady decline in water levels due to insufficient pre-monsoon showers „„At least three major reservoirs are now below 30% of their storage capacity, including Anjunem (27%), Tillari (29%), and Panchwadi (30%) parts of Bicholim, has seen its water level decline to just 27 „„The Selaulim reservoir in South Goa stands at 43%, while Amthane remains at 45%, though both are considered relatively stable „„Smaller dams like Chapoli and Gaunem have maintained higher water levels at 51% and 60%, respectively per cent. Similarly, the Tillari dam, a critical source of raw water for both drinking and irrigation across Goa, currently stands at 29 per cent. The minor Panchwadi reservoir, catering to Shiroda and Panchwadi regions, has dropped to 30 per cent of its total capacity. South Goa's Selaulim reservoir, considered the primary lifeline for drinking water in the region, is at 43 per cent capacity, while the Amthane reservoir – serving Bardez and parts of Bicholim – is relatively stable at 45 per cent. In contrast, the smaller but >Continued on P8