The flotilla of casinos anchored in the River Mandovi, off the coast of Panaji, is all set to welcome a new entrant today. The owners of the ‘Floatel’, the ‘non-avian neighbour’, currently anchored near the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, have been directed by the Captain of Ports to shift their vessel towards Betim.
The move came as the Government was pressurized by a number of civic groups and wildlife activists to shift the vessel away from the vicinity of the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, home to a variety of endemic birds.
Captain Of Ports James Braganza said,” The department has directed the concerned people to shift the vessel on Friday morning”.
The vessel entered River Mandovi last month and was originally to be anchored in Britona, but due to the protests from the residents it was shifted towards the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, closer to Ribandar.
Though Casinos boost tourism and generate employment, their presence in the Mandovi River, a lifeline to much of North Goa, can be hazardous, even disastrous in the long run. The price we will pay for so-called-progress!
