Dept working on plan for changing rooms at Colva beach: Mickky

Dept working on plan for changing rooms at Colva beach: Mickky
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, APRIL 18
Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco has said his department is working on a plan to see how best to erect changing rooms on the beach stretch frequented by tourists and locals alike.
Speaking to Herald, Pacheco said the question of erecting changing rooms needs to be addressed taking into account the CRZ regulations, given the permanent nature of the structures, but hastened to add that the Tourism department is certainly aware of the need for changing rooms atleast every 300 meter stretch of the beach.
Reacting to the news item, Gaping holes in the changing room at Colva, Pacheco maintained that the so-called structure at Colva has not been erected by the Tourism department as a changing room. “The structure being used as a changing room was once a pedestal of the life guard tower. The Tourism department has not converted the structure into a changing room nor has authorised anyone to change clothes inside the room or has designated the structure as a changing room”, Pacheco said.
But, when his attention was drawn to the fact that visitors, especially women, are put to embarrassment for want of a changing room at Colva and other beaches along Salcete’s coastline, the Tourism Minister said the department is working out a plan to put changing rooms in place for the benefit of the visitors.
A local NGO, Colva Civic and Consumer Forum headed by convenor Judith Almeida had on Saturday cried foul over the state of affairs of the changing room with gaping holes. She had maintained that women visitors to the beach are being left embarrassed with the structure being used as a changing room has gaping holes.
Sources in the know informed that the tourists, especially women, use the structure as a changing room in the absence of any such facility near the beach.