TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: The popular Patnem beach in Canacona taluka has become an eyesore since the last few days with big and small chunks of tar balls being washed ashore.
Tourists, especially foreigners, were seen keeping a distance and the three women engaged by the Tourism Department for beach cleanliness are finding it difficult to maintain the beach.
The women said the amount of tar balls washed ashore is particularly high during low tide and they are unable to clean up the same considering the quantum.
Two of the three women, who were seen moving with containers and brooms, said it was becoming difficult for them to lift the tar balls which are continuously washing ashore over the last few days.
“When we remove the tar balls from one side, the other side is infested and when that side is cleaned, it re-appears on the entire beach. We find this phenomenon very annoying,” one of the women complained.
“We are only three people engaged by the Tourism Department and the amount of tar balls what we remove is too much and these keep appearing,” said the woman.
Even though no beach shacks are allowed on Patnem beach, the entire coastline remains heavily saturated with private shacks and huts, only next to Palolem beach, and is also closely linked to Rajbag beach.
Tourists often flock to the beach, especially when Palolem over flows and many tourists looking for solace end up at Patnem beach.
