CANACONA: District administration authorities descended in Agonda early Monday morning, equipped with earth moving machinery and a posse of about 150 police personnel to execute the GCZMA demolition order.
With no alternative left after a series of meetings held with the authorities, the owners of the structures with the help of labourers tried to salvage whatever they could till the reprieve came in the form of a stay order from the High Court.
As machinery and manpower made their arrival in Agonda on Monday morning, hundreds of locals started gathering at Panna, a junction from where the road leads to Agonda beach. People were seen holding plycards opposing the GCZMA order.
Sensing trouble while executing the order, SP South Arvind Gauns, DySP Kiran Poudval and the Police station incharges from all over South Goa were seen positioned with a strong posse of armed as well as unarmed police personnel drawn from other police stations in South. Some onlookers pointed that the entire area looked like a Bollywood movie scene.
By late morning it was clear that the demolition would be carried out in letter and spirit, however the the shack owners pleaded with the authorities that if heavy machinery was used all material in the shacks which is estimated to cost lakhs of rupees would be damaged.
When Herald visited the Agonda beach stretch earmarked for turtle nesting at about 11.30 am, hundreds of labourers engaged by the structure owners were dismantling the various beach houses, restaurants and other facilities dotting the 2.9 km stretch of beach.
