Anjuna locals angry as Vagator beach renamed Sunburn beach by hotelier

ANJUNA/PANJIM: Anjuna-Caisua-Vagator villagers have been deprived of moving around their village after a private hotelier changed the Vagator beach name as Sunburn Beach Club and restricted movement of locals on the beach.

Michael D’Souza, a local said, “Changing the name of the beach from Vagator beach to Sunburn beach is like destroying the identity of the village which cannot be accepted.”

Shockingly, locals allege that bouncers have been deployed in the Ozran vicinity, who are not allowing locals to move around freely and have blocked the traditional access to the beach. “The rule of the land has to be followed. Instead of doing that outsiders are freely doing illegalities under the nose of the authorities. We are in the process of submitting a memorandum to the local police and the panchayat demanding action against this hotelier who has advertised the name of the beach as Sunburn beach,” another local said.

This is the same structure earlier called Waters and later Bombay Adda and for which the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had issued a demolition notice in June 2019 and had directed the Collector to demolish it.

The place is located in Survey No 213/18 of Ozran, Vagator and the demolition was ordered after it was learnt that the structure was unauthorised along with illegal hill cutting and hill slope filling. However, revenue authorities and the panchayat failed to implement the GCZMA directions.

The directions were issued after it was learnt that the owner had carried out illegal construction of ground plus four structures for commercial business activity along with illegal temporary hut at the beach.

The promoters have advertised on social media stating the beach has been renamed as Sunburn Beach, which would be open 365 days in the year.  

The locals questioned as to how such an illegal project can come into existence without the support of local panchayat.

Locals said an illegal access road with steep incline has been constructed in Survey No 213/17 by cutting and filling soil and other debris by taking advantage of the COVID situation and further violating Section 144 of CrPC imposed barring certain activities during the COVID-19 lockdown period in CRZ and other areas.

The locals alleged that the authorities concerned are hand-in-glove with the owner who has very good clout with ministers and MLAs.

“If the panchayat is not hand-in-glove with this hotelier, then the panchayat should have at least issued notice to this hotelier, which they have failed to do. Such illegal project cannot come up without the support of the local authorities,” Ravi Harmalkar, a local, claimed.

When contacted Anjuna Caisua sarpanch Savio Almeida said, “No permission has been issued for any construction instead the demolition order was issued to the said hotelier.” However, he added that the Directorate of Panchayats has given a stay on the order.