MARGAO: Locals from Colva are upset with the Tourism Department for the recent action of cutting Hechtia capituligera vegetation on the beach, which they said was important to protect the beach from sand erosion.
Locals have now demanded that the Tourism Department replants the same and they recalled how during the adverse weather conditions, it is this vegetation that had helped the beach.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas also supported the demands of the locals and said the department should be penalised for their ill-planned action and questioned if they had proper knowledge before they had cut the vegetation.
The work of the tourism department, like the setting up of gazebos on the beach that had collapsed during the rains last year or the lack of adequate action taken by the government to put a stop to soil erosion at Colva beach has also been criticized by the locals.
Locals were also quick to point out the number of discarded garbage bins on the beach and they questioned whose job it was to remove them from the beach. They added the same bins could have been cleaned and put to use elsewhere.
Furthermore, in light of the recent cleanliness activities that were carried out across the State and the beaches earlier this week, locals pointed to the number of discarded alcohol bottles found on the beach and said the authorities should look at implementing more effective solutions with penal action rather than the token one-hour cleanliness drives.
