Latest news with #PravimalAbhishek
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
App guidelines spur 1.7k feedback letters
Panaji: The directorate of transport has received 1,750 letters of objection and suggestions in response to the recently notified Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. 'Govt will consider all feedback before finalising the regulations,' said the director of transport, Pravimal Abhishek. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A recurring theme in the letters was that the scope of aggregators should be limited strictly to point-to-point pickup and drop services. They should not be allowed to operate or facilitate bookings for local sightseeing tours, event transportation, cruise bookings, and other specialised services traditionally handled by local operators. Some drivers also pointed to practical challenges, such as poor mobile network coverage in certain areas and limited digital literacy among a segment of the workforce. Others raised the need to revise the fare structure in the future in tandem with the increasing fuel costs. Some drivers, however, expressed support for govt's initiative. On Tuesday, the department of tourism called upon local taxi operators to integrate with state-backed digital taxi platforms such as the Goa Taxi App and GoaMiles. Both apps facilitated 70,000+ rides and onboarded 1,000+ drivers within just over a year, the director of tourism, Kedar Naik, said. 'We urge all Goan taxi brothers to come onboard and make use of this free, govt-supported platform designed to benefit them,' he said.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IDC and central body to develop disaster management plan for industrial estates
representative image Panaji: Goa Industrial Development Corporation (Goa-IDC) has joined hands with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, to develop a comprehensive multi-hazard mapping and disaster management plan for all 24 industrial estates in the state. Pravimal Abhishek, Goa IDC managing director, said that 'the idea for the project emerged in response to concerns raised by industries during one of the IDC-Connect programmes. Several industries highlighted the issue of frequent flooding in their units. That's when we realised the importance of conducting a proper hazard assessment and planning accordingly'. He emphasised the importance of sustainable development in Goa, pointing out that although industries occupy less than 2% of the state's land, they contribute nearly 30% to its economy. 'Goa is home to 24 industrial estates, each with its own unique set of challenges. The risks faced by Kundaim are different from those at Verna. This makes estate-specific planning crucial,' he said. Pranoy Baidya, head of the research division at Arannya Environment Research Organisation (AERO), explained how local biodiversity plays a crucial role in determining hazard vulnerability. 'Certain grass species are more prone to catching fire due to their high lignin content, while others are naturally more fire-resistant,' Baidya said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The study will focus on plateau regions to assess fire risks and recommend preventive strategies such as establishing fire breaks. He added that water management will also be a key focus, particularly in regions experiencing drier conditions. As part of the project, a half-day workshop was held at BITS Pilani, bringing together Goa-IDC officials and representatives from industrial estate associations to discuss and agree upon the objectives and roadmap ahead. Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi, associate professor at BITS Pilani, Goa, said that increasing climate variability has made such hazard mapping efforts more urgent.
