log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY MAY 11, 2026 GOA River Sal de-weeding drive masks deeper drainage crisis >> pg 6 Q4 earnings, Iran conflict, oil prices among factors to track this week IN SHORT >> Hantavirus: Two Indians on cruise ship evacuated LONDON: Two Indian nationals aboard the Dutch vessel MV Hondius, which reported a hantavirus outbreak, were evacuated to the Netherlands and are healthy and asymptomatic, the Embassy of India in Spain said on Sunday. The luxury cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey on April 1 from Argentina’s Ushuaia and arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday after the virus outbreak was reported. Inquiry sought into death of home guard PANAJI: The State Forest Department has sought a detailed police investigation into the “suspicious” death of a Home Guard from Bethoda village in Ponda, whose death was initially attributed to an attack by a gaur -Indian bison, citing several inconsistencies in the incident and post-mortem findings.  >> See pg 2 Quota demand: STs to meet director MARGAO: The Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa has decided to up the ante in support of its long-pending demand for political reservations for the scheduled tribes in the upcoming Goa Legislative Assembly election. The organisation has now decided to call on the Director, Tribal Welfare on May 11 to ascertain the exact reason behind the delay.  >> See pg 2 Locals flag garbage along the roads MAPUSA: As the monsoon approaches, open and secluded roadside stretches in villages are once again turning into easy dumping grounds. A recent case near the Gavar at Nachinola has highlighted how isolated areas continue to attract garbage dumping.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 34.6 C Min: 26.4 C Humidity: 65% TIDES Low: High: 08:57 22:59 02:01 16:35 Facebook.com/thegoan 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 323 2 GOA Muddy water supply hits four villages in Sattari RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Sculpting perfection: Redefining your look with microblading 9 PROPOSAL FINDS MENTION IN SUBMISSION BEFORE JERC THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a bid to reduce Goa’s heavy dependence on imported electricity, the State Electricity Department is likely to explore the possibility of offshore nuclear power generation through Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs) near the State’s coastline. The proposal was mentioned in the department’s submission before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), wherein it stated that the concept involves ecological and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) concerns and would require detailed discussions with the State government before any further consideration. The proposed exploration is expected to be examined under the newly enacted Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025. Offshore nuclear power GOA’S POWER PLAY: FUTURE PERFECT „„Offshore nuclear power concept to be explored further with govt „„Concerns identified over ecology and Coastal Regulation Zone regulations „„Proposal likely to be assessed under SHANTI Act, 2025 „„Envisages deployment of small modular nuclear reactors on barges or offshore platforms near the coast „„Aims to provide uninterrupted clean baseload power „„Intended to support coastal industrial zones, remote regions and green hydrogen projects „„Seen as part of India’s broader net-zero emissions target for 2070 „„Comes amid Centre’s push for alternative energy generation in Goa generation refers to deployment of small modular nuclear reactors mounted on barges or offshore platforms close to the coast. The technology is being viewed as an emerging solution to provide uninterrupted clean baseload power to coastal industrial zones, remote regions and green hydrogen projects, while contributing to India’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. The move comes in the backdrop of the Centre’s push for alternative energy generation in Goa. During his visit to the State last year, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had suggested that Goa undertake a feasibility study for setting up a nuclear-based power plant to reduce its nearly 80 per cent dependence on imported electricity. Khattar had then stated that India, which currently has around 8 gigawatt nuclear power generation capacity, aims to scale it up to 100 GW by 2047. “State has no scope for thermal-based power plants or hydel power projects. Solar power generation has also not been very successful due to excessive rainfall. Hence, Goa has been asked to explore setting up a nuclear-based power plant. A feasibility study has been proposed,” the Union Minister had said. However, the proposal File photo Mhadei water diverted to keep Opa plant running n 24-HR SUPPLY BEGINS VIA GANJE PROJECT n WATER LEVEL IN KHANDEPAR RIVER DROPS THE GOAN I NETWORK VALPOI Falling water levels in the Khandepar River have prompted authorities to activate the diversion of water from the Mhadei River through the Ganje Water Project to keep the Opa Water Treatment Plant running without interruption. With fears mounting over a further delay in the monsoon, large volumes of water are now being diverted as an emergency safeguard to prevent any shutdown of the crucial Opa project. Since Opa supplies drinking water to several talukas, maintaining uninterrupted operations is considered essential. Keeping this in mind, the Irrigation Department has intensified efforts to divert water through the Ganje project. According to information, a scheme to divert water from the Mhadei River into the Khandepar River was launched a few years ago. Every year during May, the water level in the Khandepar The Ganje water project River decreases significantly. To address this issue, stored water from the Mhadei River is released into the Khandepar River through the project during this period. A large quantity of water is stored in the barrage constructed at Ganje and is then diverted into the Khandepar River through pipelines. This helps maintain water flow in the river and ensures adequate supply to the Opa project. Around three years ago, a high-capacity barrage project was constructed at Ganje at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 100 crore. Through this project, millions of litres of water Leadership vacuum continues to dog women’s commission NO HEARINGS HELD FOR OVER TWO MONTHS PANAJI Even as Goa continues to witness an alarming rise in crimes against women and minors, the Goa State Commission for Women has remained headless for over two months, with the State government yet to initiate any process to fill the vacant post of chairperson. The Commission has virtually remained non-function- 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline Goa eyes floating N-plants to reduce power imports AMID RISING CRIME… THE GOAN I NETWORK The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) al since the tenure of former chairperson Ranjita Pai ended on March 5, with no hearings reportedly conducted during this period. The delay assumes significance amid growing concern over women’s safety in Goa following the latest NCRB data for 2024, which showed the State recording the highest rate of rape-related offences in the country at 13.3 cases per one lakh population, far above the national average of 4.3. Goa Police later clarified that the NCRB figure included both rape and POCSO cases, with the rape rate standing at 5.2 and POCSO cases at 8.1 per lakh population. According to the NCRB statistics, Goa registered 105 rape cases under IPC/BNS provisions in 2024 involving 106 survivors. Of these, 65 survivors - nearly 61 per cent, were >Continued on P5 are stored and released into the Khandepar River using pumps. Three high-capacity pumps have been installed for this purpose, out of which two are operated round the clock. In case one pump develops a fault, an alternative pump is immediately activated. The diversion process is currently underway, and as a result, a slight reduction in the water level of the Mhadei River is reportedly being noticed. Officials have also kept arrangements ready to release additional water from upstream barrages if the water level at Ganje declines further >Continued on P5 Vijay takes oath as TN CM; signs first order on free electricity 1 Cheered and hailed by a sea of delirious supporters, C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, marking his rise to the State’s top post and signalling a historic political realignment. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by senior leaders, including Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and family and friends of Vijay. 2 Immediately after taking over as the chief minister, he signed his first order allowing 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers. He also pledged setting up a special force for women’s safety and antidrug trafficking units across the state. 3 In his maiden address at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Vijay said a new era of a regime committed to ‘real secularism and social justice’ commenced now. TVK emerged as the single largest party in the recent Assembly elections, >> See pg 7 had triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties and environmental experts, following which Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarified that the State government had no plans to establish a conventional nuclear power plant in Goa. Sawant had maintained that the Union Minister was only emphasising the need to explore alternative energy sources. The proposal had also received support from sections of the industry. The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry had said that the option of nuclear energy was “worth exploring” considering Goa’s rising power demand and limitations in other energy sources. The chamber had observed that options such as coal, wind, wave, hydel and large-scale solar energy had not proven feasible enough to meet the State’s growing electricity requirements, making nuclear energy a possible long-term alternative. SPORTS Urvil equals fastest IPL fifty record as CSK stay alive 12 Need of the hour to resume Covid era ways, warns Modi n CAUTIONS AGAINST EXCESSIVE USE OF PETROL, DIESEL; ADVOCATES CARPOOLING PTI PM’S SUGGESTIONS HYDERABAD Invoking memories of the Covid-19 era, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to use petro products with restraint amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. Addressing a rally organised by the Telangana BJP, Modi called for judicious use of petrol and diesel and suggested measures such as increased use of metro rail services, carpooling, electric vehicles, railway parcel services and work-from-home practices to help conserve foreign exchange. “We developed work from home, virtual meetings, video conferencing and several other methods during the coronavirus period. We became habituated to them. The need of the hour is to resume those methods,” he said. Stressing the need to save foreign exchange due to the crisis, Modi called for postponing the purchase of gold and foreign visits for one year. “We have to save foreign ex- „„Increase EV usage „„Resume work-fromhome culture „„Promote virtual meetings, video calls „„Save foreign exchange “by any means” „„Postpone gold purchases for a year „„Avoid foreign trips for a year change by any means,” he said. He also called for reducing consumption of edible oil, reducing use of chemical fertilisers, promoting natural farming and swadeshi products to save foreign exchange and to make the country self-reliant. Stating that the BJP govt was formed in West Bengal with a massive majority, Modi asserted that he saw Bengal’s enthusiasm in Telangana. He also said that people of Telangana want a change. Under fire, Rane turns the tables with NDZ move TCP BOARD RECLASSIFIES LAKHS OF SQUARE METRES OF LAND AS NO DEVELOPMENT ZONE ASHLEY DO ROSARIO THE GOAN I PANAJI Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane, cornered for weeks by activists and political opponents over alleged misuse of land conversion powers, has struck back with an audacious move: reclassifying vast tracts of land as “nodevelopment zones” under Section 39A of the TCP Act. The TCP department has notified the proposals mooted by the TCP Board to lock 82.8 lakh sq mts of land across the State beyond the scope of any development.  The largest parcel -- 65.31 lakh sq mts in Keri, Sattari, his political pocket borough -- comprises natural cover, slopes, and irrigation command areas. Another 6.44 lakh sq mts of orchard land in Pernem taluka’s  Mandrem village, has also been earmarked for NDZ classification, along with purportedly ecologically sensitive stretches in Majorda TCP DEPT DRAWS THE RED LINE „„TCP Dept notifies proposals to place 82.8 lakh sq mts of land beyond development scope „„Largest chunk is 65.31 lakh sq mts in Keri, Sattari „„6.44 lakh sq mts of orchard land in Mandrem, Pernem proposed for NDZ status „„Ecologically sensitive stretches identified in Majorda (2.5 lakh sq mts) „„Gonsua area proposed for NDZ covers 1.95 lakh sq mts „„1.03 lakh sq mts in Cavelossim included in proposal (2.5 lakh sq mts) and Gonsua (1.95 lakh sq mts) and another 1.03 lakh sq mts in Cavelossim of Salcete taluka. The move first stirred a bit of controversy in Cavelossim, when the TCP notice which had recommended reclassification of 1.03 lakh sq mts of mixeduse land like paddy fields, orchards, mangroves, and settlement,  as nondevelopable took  everyone by surprise.  Local sarpanch Dixon Vaz expressed surprise that neither the panchayat nor the landowner had applied for such zoning, while questioning the unilateral nature of the decision. Rane, however, had insisted the exercise was “restoration, not conversion”.  He argued that paddy fields cannot be converted in certain areas and that the TCP was merely reverting land to its original ecological state.  He had also clarified to Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas that the notification was aimed at protecting fragile terrain. Rane’s sudden pivot to largescale “restoration” has >Continued on P5 Tourist raj? Shack owners cry foul after Baga assault THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA hat was once sold as Goa’s hospitality mantra – Atithi Devo Bhava – is today being openly mocked by shack owners, who say the slogan has been twisted into a dangerous reality where Goans are expected to silently absorb abuse while violent tourists are treated like untouchable VIPs. The anger comes after Calangute police reportedly registered only a non-cognizable complaint against three intoxicated tourists accused of vandalism and assault at a shack in Baga. According to shack operators, despite allegations that W Tourists feel they can do anything: Cardozo MAPUSA: Tourism stakeholders say the issue no longer concerns isolated drunken brawls but the dangerous precedent being set when violent behaviour goes unpunished. “The message going out is disastrous. Tourists feel they can do anything in Goa because nothing serious will happen to them,” said Cruz Cardozo, President of the Shack Owners Welfare Society. Cardozo warned that frustration among locals is reaching a tipping point. the tourists broke beer bottles and beat up a staff member, they were merely detained and later released, while the shack owner was advised to “follow “Our boys are told to stay calm, stay polite and tolerate abuse because tourists are ‘guests’. But guests do not assault people and destroy businesses. If police continue protecting such elements, there will be anger on the ground,” he said. Has Goa’s tourism-dependent economy created a system where locals are expendable and violent tourists are too valuable to touch? For many shack owners, the answer is becoming painfully obvious. up in court”. For shack owners, the message was loud and clear: tourists can do virtually anything in Goa – abuse staff, assault locals, destroy property – and still escape serious consequences. “This Atithi Devo Bhava concept has become a joke. The real villains are treated like gods, while Goans are expected to take the beating quietly,” said one furious shack operator. Hafta raj makes a comeback? The controversy has now snowballed into a direct attack on Goa Police, with multiple shack operators alleging that the system itself has become compromised. “The police are absolutely of no help to us. They take these tourists away, make money from them quietly and release them,” alleged John Lobo, General Secretary of the Shack Owners Welfare Society, >Continued on P5