Women lifeguards, CCTV cameras, wireless sets for taxis in pipeline
TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: State government is in the process of initiating action against encroachers on properties owned by Tourism Department, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
He informed the House that large scale encroachments on tourism properties have been reported and hence a surveyor has been appointed to identify and prepare a detailed report on encroachments.
“Action in the form of demolition would be taken,” he said, adding “a state officer would be appointed to look into the cases filed by encroachers.”
Meanwhile, CCTV cameras will soon start capturing all the movements and activities on Goa’s crowded beaches, which would be monitored 24×7 by a dedicated control room back in Panjim, and women lifeguards would also patrol the beaches, the tourism minister said.
He also announced the installation of chemical toilets at all the beaches in next seven to eight months and converting the existing tourist taxis with radio taxi services, shortly. He said group of around 25 taxis can be clubbed together and provided with the facilities like wireless sets.
Further, Parulekar said that the women would be added in the fleet of lifeguards who are manning the beaches to curb the number of drowning cases on the coastline. He also announced that for the forthcoming tourism seasons, the allotment of shacks and deck beds would be done by June-July.
Parulekar told the House that 18 companies have bided for preparing Goa’s Tourism Master Plan and one would be selected by the committee by May- end. The Master Plan for Tourism would take at least 15 to 18 months for completion, he said.
The minister said that the government has also proposed scientific and mechanised beach cleaning, the tender for the same would be floated by May-end.
The minister was replying during the discussion on demand for grants for Tourism. Parulekar admitted that state is facing a tough competition from states such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan. He said that these states are making all efforts to promote them and attract more tourists.
He said that state government is also making all efforts to promote and cater more tourists at national and international level.
Parulekar said that the beaches would be monitored by installing CCTV cameras, by next one year. “In case of emergency, the agencies like police, ambulance and tourism department can rush (to the spot) immediately once we get the feedback through CCTV cameras,” the minister said.
Parulekar informed House that this infrastructure would be created through union government’s funding. The state tourism department will build these facilities in consultation with Darashaw and Company Private Limited, a consultant appointed by the union government.
He said that the state government is in the process of renewing the contract for the lifeguard services on the beaches. “Several times, the women tourists who are carried away by the undercurrents in the sea have to be rescued by male lifeguards. Sometimes, the male lifeguard has to give first aid for the woman tourist who have been rescued from the water,” the minister said.
He stated that the women lifeguards would be the part of the fleet that would be commissioned on state’s beaches. The state government has also decided to post lifeguards at the water bodies in the hinterland which attract tourists, so that the cases of drowning are reduced.
He also said that the proper signage would be installed at all the beaches directing the tourists to the facilities like toilets, changing rooms and others.
