Author: Team Admin

Team Goemkarponn I Siolim In the lush village of Siolim, where coconut palms sway and monsoon clouds gather over emerald fields, June brings more than just rain. It brings São João—a festival unlike any other in Goa. At the heart of this joyous celebration is the kopela, a crown woven from the season’s bounty: wildflowers, mango leaves, bright blooms, tender vines, and even small fruits. To the uninitiated, it may look like a simple garland balanced on a reveller’s head. But for the people of Siolim, the kopela carries stories, faith, and a deep bond with the land. São João…

By Irfan Iqbal Gheta The Goa Taxi Driver App is an idea whose time has come—or so believes Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho. Launched last Thursday, this much-awaited initiative aims to digitise the state’s taxi operations and give them a modern, transparent face. But the move has sparked a polarising debate that refuses to die down. On one side are Goa’s traditional taxi drivers and operators, who have voiced genuine concerns that Goa is too small to accommodate players like Ola, Uber, and Rapido. Many taxi drivers are anxious about their future. What will happen to their livelihoods if app-based aggregators…

By Team Goemkarponn | Panaji Every monsoon, as Goa’s hills turn lush and rivers surge, a silent crisis returns. Behind the beauty lies a grim reality: inland waterbodies become deadly traps—claiming lives year after year, despite repeated warnings, barricades, and tragic headlines. Between 2019 and 2024, at least 113 people drowned in Goa’s inland waterbodies, official records show. These deaths happened in rivers, waterfalls, ponds, irrigation canals, and abandoned stone quarries. Authorities say more than 65% occurred during the monsoon, when currents become unpredictable and depths rise overnight. While beaches have professional lifeguards, most of these inland sites remain unguarded—and…

By Satyavatinandan Satrekar At first glance, the Mhadei River at Sonal is a portrait of peace. Its cool, clear waters ripple past boulders and over sandbanks shaded by thick shrubs of Sherni (Homonoia riparia). This stretch has long been a magnet for nature lovers, families, and weekend picnickers drawn to its beauty. But beneath the surface, the river is quietly under siege. A fortnight ago, excavators rolled into Movacho Guno—one of Mhadei’s most scenic bends—and began dredging the riverbed. The work was carried out without informing the Water Resources Department or any other regulatory body. Bulldozers churned up the silt…

On June 25, 1975, democracy in India was not just shaken — it was suspended. The Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, remains one of the darkest and most shameful chapters in India’s constitutional history. For 21 months, civil liberties were crushed, the press was gagged, political opponents were jailed, and the Constitution was bent to serve authoritarian interests. And yet, when the Directorate of Education in Goa issued a circular asking schools to observe “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” — a day to remember the killing of the Constitution — the Congress party erupted in anger. It accused the…

Suraj Nandrekar| Panaji At first glance, it looks like a minor inconvenience – another Goan taxi with its digital fare meter hidden beneath a towel. But behind that seemingly harmless cover is a much larger story, one that involves crores of rupees, unanswered questions, and a trail of public money that appears to benefit everyone but the passengers and taxi drivers it was supposed to serve. More than 18,319 taxis in Goa have been fitted with digital fare meters, each costing taxi owners ₹11,000 at the time of installation. That alone amounts to over ₹20 crore collected upfront from drivers…

Team Goemkarponn MORMUGAO: In a significant achievement, Delta Ports Mormugao Terminal Pvt Ltd has successfully completed the discharge of 60,500 metric tonnes of Iron Ore Fines from MV Jal Kalpavriksha at Berth No. 10, under challenging monsoon conditions. The consignment was for M/s Mandovi Pellets, Goa. The operation was completed in just 49 hours, with a record 29,284 metric tonnes handled in the last 24 hours alone. The swift turnaround is being seen as a major milestone, particularly given the adverse weather currently affecting Goa’s coastline. Delta Ports attributed the success to the leadership of its Vice President, Raghoba Kotkar,…