Team Herald
BENAULIM: The seasonal phenomenon of tar balls menace washed ashore during the monsoons once again makes its presence felt on the Benaulim beach. Environmentalist claimed to have spotted fist-sized tar balls while villagers from Benaulim and the surrounding coastal villages firmly deny any such recent occurrence.
Former Benaulim sarpanch and architect Royla Fernandes exclaimed, “It is there all along the coast. I can show you evidence of these tar balls even in Mobor as I have been there and walked in that area. These tar balls look pulverised. Even if you dig three inches deep, you will observe there’s a greyish substance. You will find these tar balls in patches as it comes with the ocean currents.”
Interestingly, a local Benaulim fisherman Pele Fernandes remarked, “Not tar balls but plastic has been washed ashore on the beach. Daily in the morning, I tour the beach stretch from Colva to Varca and tonnes of plastic not just one tonne or half tonne but tonnes of plastic floats ashore during the high tide and recede into the sea during the low tide. This nuisance is the problem of manpower shortage of the beach cleaning firm’s contractor.”
“I request the State government to instruct the appointed beach cleaning agency to employ more personnel for this purpose as there are only two individuals deployed for the task of ensuring the cleanliness of the full stretch of the Benaulim beach. I had already raised this issue of manpower shortage of this beach cleaning agency with the concerned authorities,” said Pele.
Several Benaulim residents contacted, too, denied of any knowledge of any such unusual occurrence. Benaulim resident Mario Britto Fernandes said, “There are no tar balls on the beach only garbage including the fallen tree foliage is visible on the beach as the tide is washing the sea. I am presently on the beach. I also received this message today morning.”
Benaulim AAP ZP member Hanzel Fernandes added, “There’s nothing on the beach. The beaches are clean. It first starts from Benaulim beach and then flows south. As of now, there are no complaints.”
