Vermin By The Sea

The hordes of tourists descending on Goa may have changed the relaxed, laidback life of the natives. But the Goan susegad is under attack from a two different species—peacocks and monkeys, if we take chief minister Pramod Sawant’s word. He told the assembly how much these two ‘menaces’ have destroyed orchards and crops, and damages his government is doling out. For the record, national bird peacock was on the list of vermin, with the monkey and state animal bison. Left unsaid is the link between human-animal conflict and untrammeled deforestation and urbanisation of this paradise by the sea.