Morjim
Encyclopedia
Morjim is a village situated in north Goa
in the Pernem
district on the north bank of the Chapora River
estuary
. It is home to a variety of birds and to the Olive ridley sea turtle. It has become known as "Little Russia" due to the concentration of Russian expatriates living there.
MP Shantaram Naik has condemned the Russian presence, objecting specifically to rudeness, nudity, and crime including assaults and running businesses in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act
. Indian security agencies have become concerned with the Russian Mafia
involvement in drug trade, prostitution, and land ownership in the formerly quiet beach village. CNN-IBN specifically accused former town and urban planning minister Babush Monserrate of ties to the Russian mafia. Politicians have also described the Russian presence as "bad for Goa".
Porn Websites have sprouted from Morjim such as "Sexy Goa" which was shot in Villa Morjim. Performers are mostly Russians and from other Slavic countries.
In response to such complaints, Vikram Varma
, a Goa-based lawyer in the employ of Russia's Mumbai consulate, notes that out of tens of thousands of Russian visitors to and residents in the area, just fifteen were implicated in illegal property deals in 2007, and only two arrested for drugs possession in 2008, while the Russian visitors as a whole contribute roughly Rs. 4 billion to the local economy each year and form 40% of hotel occupancies. Nearly 75% of chartered flights to Goa come from Russia.
Rajan Ghate, a secretary of the state unit of the NCP has demanded a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the nexus, between the Land Mafia, Politicians, and revenue officials, which is already being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
. They are afforded the highest degree of protection under Indian law through their inclusion in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
. Poaching eggs
or in any manner disturbing the turtles or their habitat is an offence punishable under Indian law.
Protection of marine turtles and their habitat has been embraced by the local community through community-based conservation
efforts. These efforts were commenced sometime in the years 1995-96 by a number of local villagers after discussions with Goa-based environmental protection
groups. Before this time, the eggs were poached by fishermen, but later the fishermen became some of the fiercest protectors of marine turtles.
The Goa Forest Department supports the turtle conservation efforts and has set up a Turtle Conservation Interpretation Centre at the Forest Office in Pernem
utilising funds allotted by the Central Government of India
. The Forest Department also pays a monthly stipend to young local volunteers involved in marine turtle conservation efforts in Morjim. A few of these volunteers have even found jobs with the Forest Department in recognition of their efforts. Some youth of Morjim have also gone on to campaign internationally by doing stints on the Greenpeace
ship Rainbow Warrior
.
The Tourism Department of the Government of Goa
has aided the conservation efforts by restricting temporary seasonal structures (e.g. shacks) to only a portion of the beach, and requiring them to operate only during daylight hours. Owners of the structures are also legally obliged not to leave beach furniture strewn about after daylight hours and not to do anything that would adversely affect marine turtle conservation.
Sadly in 2011 the turtles can hardly be seen anymore due to over-urbanization, light pollution, noise pollution.
Morjim's wildlife is doomed as per a recent study of international researchers, the village is expected to be the next Calangute .
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in the Pernem
Pernem
Pernem is a northmost administrative region or Taluka in North Goa. It is also the name of the town of Pernem, which is its headquarters. It has a Municipal Council...
district on the north bank of the Chapora River
Chapora River
The Chapora Fort occupies an important position which, in every direction commanded distant approaches. Rising above the wide Chapora River, long before the Portuguese arrived in Goa, was a fort in place of the present one built. Even after the Portuguese acquired Bardez, the fort changed hands...
estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. It is home to a variety of birds and to the Olive ridley sea turtle. It has become known as "Little Russia" due to the concentration of Russian expatriates living there.
Russian expatriates
Congress PartyIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
MP Shantaram Naik has condemned the Russian presence, objecting specifically to rudeness, nudity, and crime including assaults and running businesses in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act
Foreign Exchange Management Act
The Foreign Exchange Management Act was an act passed in the winter session of Parliament in 1999 which replaced Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. This act seeks to make offenses related to foreign exchange civil offenses...
. Indian security agencies have become concerned with the Russian Mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
involvement in drug trade, prostitution, and land ownership in the formerly quiet beach village. CNN-IBN specifically accused former town and urban planning minister Babush Monserrate of ties to the Russian mafia. Politicians have also described the Russian presence as "bad for Goa".
Porn Websites have sprouted from Morjim such as "Sexy Goa" which was shot in Villa Morjim. Performers are mostly Russians and from other Slavic countries.
In response to such complaints, Vikram Varma
Vikram Varma
Vikram Varma is a prominent Indian advocate based in Goa who is originally from New Delhi. Vikram Varma achieved his prominence in representing highly publicized cases by the news media, mostly involving foreigners, such as the sensational Scarlett Keeling case which captured the imagination of the...
, a Goa-based lawyer in the employ of Russia's Mumbai consulate, notes that out of tens of thousands of Russian visitors to and residents in the area, just fifteen were implicated in illegal property deals in 2007, and only two arrested for drugs possession in 2008, while the Russian visitors as a whole contribute roughly Rs. 4 billion to the local economy each year and form 40% of hotel occupancies. Nearly 75% of chartered flights to Goa come from Russia.
Rajan Ghate, a secretary of the state unit of the NCP has demanded a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the nexus, between the Land Mafia, Politicians, and revenue officials, which is already being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Beach
The Morjim beach is a nesting and hatching habitat of the Olive ridley sea turtle, an endangered speciesEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. They are afforded the highest degree of protection under Indian law through their inclusion in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks...
. Poaching eggs
Poached egg
A poached egg is an egg that has been cooked by poaching, that is, in water.-Preparation:The egg is cracked into a bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of simmering water and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft...
or in any manner disturbing the turtles or their habitat is an offence punishable under Indian law.
Protection of marine turtles and their habitat has been embraced by the local community through community-based conservation
Community-based conservation
Community-based conservation is a res conservation movements that emerged in the 1980s through escalating protests and subsequent dialogue with local communities affected by international attempts to protect the biodiversity of the earth. Older conservation movements disregarded the interests of...
efforts. These efforts were commenced sometime in the years 1995-96 by a number of local villagers after discussions with Goa-based environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
groups. Before this time, the eggs were poached by fishermen, but later the fishermen became some of the fiercest protectors of marine turtles.
The Goa Forest Department supports the turtle conservation efforts and has set up a Turtle Conservation Interpretation Centre at the Forest Office in Pernem
Pernem
Pernem is a northmost administrative region or Taluka in North Goa. It is also the name of the town of Pernem, which is its headquarters. It has a Municipal Council...
utilising funds allotted by the Central Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. The Forest Department also pays a monthly stipend to young local volunteers involved in marine turtle conservation efforts in Morjim. A few of these volunteers have even found jobs with the Forest Department in recognition of their efforts. Some youth of Morjim have also gone on to campaign internationally by doing stints on the Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
ship Rainbow Warrior
Rainbow Warrior (2011)
The Rainbow Warrior is a purpose-built motor-assisted sailing yacht owned and operated by Greenpeace and intended for use in their activities such as environmental protests and scientific excursions...
.
The Tourism Department of the Government of Goa
Government of Goa
The Government of Goa has a unicameral legislature consisting of a forty member Legislative Assembly, headed by a Chief Minister who wields the executive power. The present Chief Minister of Goa is Mr. Digamber Kamat and the Leader of Opposition is Mr. Manohar Parrikar...
has aided the conservation efforts by restricting temporary seasonal structures (e.g. shacks) to only a portion of the beach, and requiring them to operate only during daylight hours. Owners of the structures are also legally obliged not to leave beach furniture strewn about after daylight hours and not to do anything that would adversely affect marine turtle conservation.
Sadly in 2011 the turtles can hardly be seen anymore due to over-urbanization, light pollution, noise pollution.
Morjim's wildlife is doomed as per a recent study of international researchers, the village is expected to be the next Calangute .