Want more likes and views on Instagram? Then, head straight to this location nestled in a quaint little village in South Goa.
Forget the Dear Zindagi Road, or Maddani, as it is called locally, and instead, drive south to this road where you can take photos, do pre-wedding shoots and even propose to your beloved on a road brimming with the most vivid yellow flowers.
Want to know how it happened? Read on ...
It all started when the road in Seraulim was widened and tarred, flanked by fields on either side. However, instead of getting a glimpse of villagers growing paddy, people soon began to see (and smell) bags of decomposed garbage, filled with soiled diapers, beer bottles and leftover food.
It was then that Savio Vales, a local from Seraulim, decided to jump in and do something about it.
Rather than collecting over 15-20 bags of garbage, he thought of a solution sometime in August 2022. And, less than two years later, the results are there for all to see.
“We thought, why not look at ways of beautifying the place? Maybe then, people will not throw garbage here," he says.
"Initially, my wife and I decided to plant some bougainvillea. But then, this plant has thorns, and if people drive too close to the plants, they might end up hurting themselves. So, we decided to plant these yellow flowers, which bloom all year round,” says 60-year-old Savio, who took up gardening after retirement.
They did that. And, guess what? The garbage has reduced by over 95%! “In a week, I used to collect 3-5 bags a day. Now it’s practically nothing!”
The 200 m stretch of road from Colva to Betalbatim, as well as the road when you turn right at the Margao bus stand and drive past the wholesale fish market, has 234 plants.
Over the last few months, over 60 of these plants had to be replaced. Why?
“I would buy them for Rs 20 from the South Goa Forest Division in Margao, and unfortunately, people would uproot them because they were beautiful. But now, since they have grown huge, people take the seeds instead,” Savio says.
Throughout the summer months, Savio has also been watering the place himself.
“The heat was unbearable. So, I would make trips on my bike, carrying buckets of water, and water these plants. A friend donated water pipes, which made it easier to water them,” says a happy Savio, when he sees people stopping to take selfies and photos.
So, the next time you are in Goa, visit this stretch of road in Seraulim, and create some unforgettably colourful memories.
