PANJIM: The stink, following the garbage mess on the beaches after termination of beach cleaning contract, has reached the coastal MLAs and Laxmikant Parsekar’s own cabinet.
Three MLAs of Calangute, Panjim and Benaulim, appalled at the garbage on the beaches and with absolutely no system of beach cleaning post the termination of the beach cleaning contract blamed the Tourism Minister, who in turn blamed the GSIDC, which in turn expressed surprise as to why fingers should be pointed at them.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has asked the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) to lift garbage from the beaches till alternative arrangements are in place. This of course, is an adhoc emergency measure and not a part of any planned response to the crisis.
Following the controversy on Thursday morning, the CM called a meeting of coastal MLAs Michael Lobo and Caetano (Caitu) Silva (Benaulim) besides the Tourism Minister, GSIDC vice chairman and Panjim MLA Siddharth Kuncoliencar and Tourism and GTDC officials.
Speaking to Herald, Parsekar said that for now GSIDC will handle the garbage. “For the past eight days the garbage was not lifted from the beaches and
the beach cleaning contract was terminated and as such we had no option,” Parsekar said. He added, “The situation cannot continue as it is peak season and would harm our pristine beaches.”
“Following this I called an emergency meeting of tourism officials, GSIDC and coastal MLAs to discuss and we have asked GSIDC, which is already handling the highway garbage, to manage beach waste till a new contractor is selected or up to March,” he said.
But it remains to be seen if the GSIDC has the wherewithal to execute this. On December 8, the Tourism Department wrote a letter to GSIDC to lift garbage from beaches but they refused as they do not have vehicles to lift garbage from beaches.
Earlier in the day, blaming the Tourism Department for the mess, Lobo demanded the resignation of his party colleague Parulekar as Tourism Minister on moral grounds. Asked about Lobo’s demand, Parsekar said, “Don’t take it seriously. Michael is very sensitive about tourism so he gets excited fast.”
The MLA was speaking with regard to the huge quantity of garbage that has piled up along the Calangute beach belt in the last 8 to 10 days.
“By keeping the beaches full of garbage, the livelihood of Goans is at risk. After the termination of the beach cleaning contract there has been no alternative found by the government even as the season is in full swing. This has paralysed the beach economy of Goa,” stated Lobo.
During a visit to Calangute beach on Thursday morning almost 100 trucks of garbage was seen strewn around the beach stretch of Baga, Calangute, Candolim & Sequierim of last nine days.
And the same mess, is likely to spread to the other beaches too, if the GSIDC doesn’t come to the adhoc rescue.
