The Goa that you may not know

by Dr. Nandkumar Kamat

(This is the first such article of a series which I want to contribute to highlight the lesser known side of Goa's uniqueness)

 There are many unique regions and sites in the world. Each has some specialty-ecological, historical, cultural, economic or political. There are facets of Goa's uniqueness which are not properly understood even by the blue-blooded Goans-leave aside the diaspora.

 Do you know that, the most ancient rocks in the Indian sub-continent are found in Goa-rocks which are older than the oldest of the fossils?. These rocks are found between Molem and Anmod on Goa's border with Karnataka, along the NH-4A, linking Panaji to Belgaum city in Karnataka. 

Geologically classified as Trondjemeitic Gneiss, the Rubidium isotope dating method has determined the age of these rocks to be 3600 million years old. The oldest rock of the supercontinent Pangea. The supercontinent broke apart but the rocks remained in Goa, as the continental drift pushed the Indian landmass towards northeast. A specimen of these rocks is exhibited at the well organised geological museum of Goa university. When you touch this specimen you are touching the part of history-3600 million years old. 

The second oldest rocks are found in Karnataka-3200 million years old. 

The hydrographic knowledge of even the best educated Goan academic is very poor if asked to name the rivers of Goa. Again, the rivers of Goa are unique on the west-coast of India. They have much deeper tidal influence. The rivers from north to south are-Terekhol (also known as banda or Aronda river), Chapora or Covale, Baga, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Saleri, Canacona, Talpona and Galjibaga. All these rivers have a course influenced by the west coast geological fault. 

Mandovi and Zuari are lifelines of Goa and together with their tributaries drain 69% of the state's geographical area. Goan culture in essence is the riverine culture of Mandovi and Zuari. 

Goa has many interesting but lesser known geological features like the majestic rock arch at Keri beach at Pernem, the wind blown cliff of Canaguinim Betul, the deep trench known as "choramchim Baim" at Baga (opposite the jesuit retreat home), the tunnel like cavern at Verna, the Limestone caves of Bhimgarh-Krishnapur In Sattari on Karnataka border, the Thumb-shaped rock at Padi Canacona, the meteorite well at Partagal-Canacona, the ancient rock pools of Palolem carved by nature (wind, rain, salt and waves) from 2600 million years old Granite. This is a representative list from my field visits. 

Goa is a land of islands (old name of the state was Simhala and Gomantdweepa both indicating islands). People know the major inhabited islands-Divar, Chorao, Santo Estevam or Jua etc. but there are more than 40 estuarine, 8 marine and about 90 riverine islands. Even the revenue department has no record of the smaller islands. 

Some of these islands are very scenic and uninhabited. Some are recently forming like the one in front of Penha da Franca church in Mandovi estuary, close to Chorao-Ribandar ferry-route. This island has come up from a small mudflat during past 10 years. It is fully colonised now by mangrove species. Do you know how productive this Mandovi estuary has been?. I remember once having visited the Ribandar ferry wharf which is known for fresh fish landings and where people gather to buy the fish. 

Dr. Julian Gonsalves, an UNESCO, GLOBAL 500 awardee, at present the vice-president of IIRR, Manila Philippines was with me. He wanted to videofilm the fish landings. We reached the wharf at about 6 PM. It was in February 94. A canoe was unloading the netted fish. And what did we see?- Not just one or two but 45 varieties of fish being unloaded from the heavy net. Such a huge diversity in Goa's lifeline river! (consider the fact that for the whole state the record says-200 species of fish).

 But this is a past story-research by biologist from Panaji's Dhempe Science College. Dr. Pangoo has shown that the river is getting polluted. Pangu found algal species which are universal bioindicators of pollution. 

The entire urban population on both the waterfronts of Mandovi is discharging the raw sewage and solid waste in the river.

 The barge and trawler traffic also contributes to pollution. The river is estimated to carry about 200 thousand metric tones of sediment from the north Goa mining belt EVERY YEAR. After monitoring the environmental health of the estuary in 1974-5 and 1984-5 the scientists of National Institute of Oceanography did not dare to repeat the sampling in 1994-5. 

Would we see the same diversity of fishes in this river again?. 

Goa has more than 300 ancient tanks, many of which are more than 1000 years old. The tanks at Chandor, Curtorim, Lotulim, Bhatim(near Goa Velha) were built during the Kadamba regime (1000-1340 AD). 

The Portuguese had recorded and classified more than 100 medicinal springs in Goa. Many have dried up. 

A few have been converted for boosting tourism (Pomburpa, Kesarval, Salmona etc.). 

The famous Merces Spring is irreversibly polluted. 

If you visit Goa during the rains, do not miss the grand sight of the Sakla-Vazra water fall which is spotted from the new road linking Goa to Belgaum via Sanquelim. It is known as Chorlem Ghat road. After you cross the Anjuna dam (do not confuse with Anjuna in Bardez), you would come to a spot from where you can witness the 200 metres fall. It is superb from July to September. 

There is more to Goa-the rock art of Goa-the zoomorphs of Usgalimol are unique. They put Goa on par with Altamira and Lascaux caves. More about the rock art in another article... 

Goa is unique and the peace loving, nature loving, earth loving, monsoon loving Goans are an "unique species" on earth. This is not chauvinism. it is a responsible statement based on two decades of field work-in cultural history, ecology, anthropology. 

That is why recently BBC has chosen Goa for filming a sequence of life during monsoon. Their team would be here from 16th June 2001. if you have any information for their research tem on any aspect of monsoon life, monsoon rituals etc. mail to their correspondent: mina.panic@bbc.co.uk

Dr.Nandkumar Kamat, Dept. of Botany, Goa University, Taleigao-Goa, nkamat@unigoa.ernet.in 

June 6, 2001

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