We can’t save our state without looking into the mirror. True environmental preservation depends on whether citizens are willing to ponder on how they define prosperity
Recently, I attended a public meeting in Quepem organised by the ‘Enough is Enough’ movement. The gathering reflected the growing anxiety about Goa’s future. Former High Court judge Justice Ferdino Rebello, even at the age of 75, has chosen to dedicate his energy and remaining years to raising these concerns. That itself deserves attention. A person at that stage of life has little personal gain to seek from such activism. One could say he has very little to lose. His concern appears genuine. Goa is changing irreversibly and perhaps dangerously.
The movement raises serious issues such as rampant land conversion, corruption linked to construction permissions, destruction of hills, pressure on water resources, casinos and the larger model of development being pursued in Goa.
According to the movement, what the government calls development is often destruction carried out for private profit under the cover of economic growth. Across Goa, one can see hills being cut, paddy fields disappearing, forests shrinking and large projects emerging in villages that once had very different landscapes. Water shortages during summer have become common, while flooding appears more frequent than before. Naturally, people begin asking whether this is really development or whether Goa is sacrificing its long term future for short term economic gain.
Yet while listening to the speeches and discussions, another set of questions emerged in my mind. These questions are equally important though often uncomfortable. Who is selling the land? Who is converting agricultural land into settlement zones? Who works inside the government offices that clear files and grant permissions? Who elects the governments that frame these policies? The answer, in many cases, is Goans themselves.
It is easy to imagine the problem as outsiders versus locals or corrupt politicians versus innocent citizens. But the reality is far more complicated. Many Goans willingly sell ancestral land because land prices today are unimaginably high. For many families, selling land appears to be the only path to financial security, children’s education, migration or upward mobility. Social media reflects this contradiction. On one hand, people passionately speak about saving Goa. On the other hand, land sale advertisements flood online platforms, often promoted by locals themselves. This reveals something deeper. The issue is not only political or administrative but also societal and psychological. Development is not imposed entirely from outside. It is also driven by the aspirations and choices of the society.
There is another question we rarely ask honestly. How many Goans have stopped cultivating their fields? How many have abandoned cattle rearing, grazing and other traditional occupations? How many are willing to take up the modest but essential jobs that sustained villages for generations? The answer, largely, is economic. People naturally seek better incomes, greater convenience and improved social status. There is nothing wrong with aspiration, but every choice carries consequences. When agriculture becomes unprofitable and fields remain barren, land eventually becomes vulnerable to conversion and sale. When economic gain becomes the primary measure of success, environmental concerns often move into the background.
The difficult truth is that modern economic growth almost always comes with an environmental cost. Endless development cannot be completely sustainable. Industrialisation everywhere has extracted a price from nature. The Earth has paid for modern prosperity through pollution, deforestation, climate change and ecological imbalance. The question is not whether there will be a cost. The question is who pays it and when.
This does not mean environmental destruction should be accepted helplessly. Regulation, planning and scientific governance matter enormously. Development without planning becomes chaos. When roads are repeatedly dug up because departments fail to coordinate, it reflects administrative disorder rather than vision. If governance lacks long term thinking even in simple public works, people naturally lose confidence when the same authorities speak about planned development.
Perhaps this is why movements like ‘Enough is Enough’ are gaining support. They reflect public frustration not only against construction projects but against the feeling that decisions are being made without transparency, scientific assessment or genuine public participation. At the same time, activism must confront practical realities. Goa cannot remain frozen in time. Young people need employment, infrastructure, healthcare, educational institutions and economic opportunities. Tourism, construction and services have become major pillars of the state’s economy. Completely stopping development is neither realistic nor economically possible.
The real challenge is not choosing between development and environment. The challenge is whether Goa can pursue development intelligently, honestly and within ecological limits. Can hill-cutting be regulated scientifically? Can water availability determine the scale of future projects? Can corruption in land conversion be reduced through transparency? Can local communities genuinely participate in planning? Can Goa avoid becoming merely a real estate market while preserving its cultural and ecological identity?
At the same time, there may be a need for a change in the society’s mindset. Policies to restore barren fields, encourage agriculture and support traditional livelihoods deserve serious attention. But policies alone are not enough. Politicians and government employees do not fall from the sky. They emerge from the same society, are elected by the same people and often reflect the values of that society. If citizens demand quick money over long term sustainability, governments will inevitably respond to those incentives.
The debate must, therefore, move beyond emotional slogans. Saving Goa is not merely about opposing every project, nor is development simply about constructing more buildings. The future of Goa depends on whether the society is willing to rethink what kind of prosperity it truly wants. Should it be a prosperity built only on quick money and land sales, or one that balances economy, ecology and dignity for future generations?
(Dr Mithil Fal Desai is Assistant Professor at Dnyan Prabodhini Mandal’s Shree Mallikarjun and Shri Chetan Manju Desai College in Canacona.)
