Goa’s little-known rocky biodiversity hotspots need attention

The laterite plateaus in the state are home to rich biodiversity, but their conservation is not a priority.

Francisco Rebello swings a traditional curved knife and hacks away at everything in his way—creepers, climbers and thorny shrubs—as he clears a steep path for us through the dense forest. Nearly 70 years old and wearing a pair of rubber chappals, shorts and a t-shirt, he turns around and smiles.

A few paces behind, I pant in the humid air. Shafts of sunlight pierce the thick canopy of trees and create kaleidoscopic patterns on the wet, dark soil. One wrong stop would have us sliding down into a torrential stream. “Be careful and grab a branch if you need,” says …

Author

Nihar Gokhale

Nihar Gokhale led the Chaos coverage at The Morning Context. Nihar wrote on the environment, the economy and resource conflicts in India. He has reported from across the country on everything from displacement, pollution and environmental violations to land regulation, corruption and human rights. He was earlier associate editor at Land Conflict Watch, and his work has appeared in Scroll, The Wire, IndiaSpend, The Caravan and Mongabay India.

Editor, Chaos

nihar@mailtmc.com

Delhi