Candolimbeach in North Goa is located in the Bardez taluka. It is situated south of the famous Calangute Beach and is a not-to-miss destination for both the domestic and international tourists.
As Herald visited Candolim Beach, it was revealed that the entire stretch of the sea shore had been converted into a dumping ground for garbage and the entire shore was found to be covered with layers of plastic, glass bottles and cigarette packets.
Locals too take the leeway. They leave the hint of this dirt-dumped beach much ahead to destination flushing out household wastes on the pathways that lead to the beach.
“After the beach cleaning had stopped, the sea shores have turned into dumping grounds, this is the saddest part and it is a shame for Goa, being a tourist destination,” said Arthur Rodrigues, a local resident.
The sea shore has also become a sort of “land mine” as it poses a major threat to the public walking barefoot on the sand, as shattered pieces of glasses of liquor bottles are to be seen here and there.
Locals present at the beach told Herald, it’s the tourists who littered the beaches, mostly from South Indian states and insist the government should restart the beach cleaning process.
“Why have the Government and local panchayat authorities stopped taking any action and aren’t coming out with a proper solution to clean up the beaches” asked Rachit Grover
The locals have demanded that the Government must impose a strict ban on the consumption of liquor at the beaches and should install CCTVs along the coast to monitor such activities and fine the offenders heavily.
Calangute and Baga beaches are the largest in North Goa and are visited by thousands of domestic and international tourists alike the Candolim beach.
Even here the scene is the same. Tourists are “greeted” with filth and cows spilling the same all over.
A few meters down, you be shocked to see dogs and crows feasting on the garbage. It also poses danger as these stray dogs turn violent at times and fight among each other and their display of the fangs is really frightening.
“With garbage strewn all over, the city cannot expect to achieve the smart city tag, it’s a shame for Goa and it leaves a bad impression on the people visiting our state,” said Savio Fernandes, another local resident.
A lot of tourists were seen throwing packets of chips and empty bottles of beer and other beverages.
Locals also told Herald that several people have started relieving themselves on the beaches instead of paying Rs 2 for the purpose at the nearby Sulabh toilets. For this, some amount of policing is required and surprise checks must be ensured to keep the beaches clean. Mere cribbing and highlighting the same will not help unless offenders are not punished.
The local hotel owners in Calangute and Baga told Herald, throwing of waste items is an everyday scene on the beaches, thus creating a very major concern.
“Why doesn’t the authorities take action? With the BRICS summit round the corner, there will be more influx of tourists and these garbage dumps will only add to our woes as a tourist destination,” said Mathew D’gama, a local resident.
“What is the use of setting up waste management plants if the Government is not in a position to clean up its beaches?” asked Ericka Roland David
A lot of beach shacks were also seen dumping their waste on the shore. Asked why they did so, they said it was a regular affair and their waste was later collected by the authorities.
“In most countries, cows are given food and shelter, but In India, cows are left to fend for themselves” said Manisha Manerkar
A similar situation was found at Vagator and Anjuna beaches, which is thronged by Italians, Russians, though the stretch of the beaches is small, but it attracts a huge number of domestic tourists.
As per stakeholders, a major revenue is generated from domestic tourists and if the government doesn’t come out with SOLUTION BEACH-UP, these tourists will prefer destinations like Sri Lanka and Maldivies, which are cleaner than Goa.
