Mumbai: Laid-back Manori wants hospital and agri-tourism

Manori villagers groan when asked about a proposed bridge to connect their island with the rest of the megapolis. “We were opposed to the bridge right from the start,” says resident Paul D’Souza. That’s not all. “We have also opposed special economic zones, a tourism hub and other such endeavours of the administration.” The quiet-loving villagers do not want to be plugged into the big city bustle. They are content with the one tie they have — the ferry.

“It is good and it is enough. We feel it is better this way.”

What the East Indian and his fellow villagers including Kolis and Bhandaris do care about, is a hospital, and better schools and colleges. Paul lost his nephew a few years ago because he could not be taken to a hospital in time. He cites bereavements other families have suffered under similar circumstances. 

“But there is peace and a sense of belonging here,” says Shilpa Ferreira, another East Indian. Access to amenities, too, has improved. “Now you can spot a store within 500 metre. There is better street lighting. Buses are available every half hour,” says Alphi D’Souza, spokesman for Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, which works to preserve East Indian identity. Alphi has raised a museum on his land which showcases the community’s way of life. It’s timely, considering that the village’s traditional occupations are disappearing as ponds and farms vanish.  

“Farming is something the government needs to subsidise and promote like it does in other parts of the state. We manage to make some money if we do the marketing and selling, but everything depends on the season,” says 
T Ferreira, a farmer. 

Suresh Bhandari, from the Bhandari community which is into toddy farming, suggests promoting agricultural tourism. “People can be shown how farming is done. This will benefit both the industries,” he says. But most people do not trust the government, says Gleason Baretto, an East Indian. “It promotes its own pet schemes, so people are suspicious of its plans.”