MARGAO: A common trend emerged from various gram sabhas and the Panchayat Chalo Abhiyan meetings held across Salcete recently is that anti-social elements engage in night-time drinking and smoking near residential areas in the villages, at bridges, in beach parking lots, secluded spots near the roadside or even near the fields and bundhs.
Certain gram sabhas pinpointed where such activity was taking place in the village and called for action to be taken by the authorities. During the Panchayat Chalo Abhiyan meetings, elected representatives spoke about such anti-social elements manually switching off the streetlights and then carrying on with their activities.
Stating that senior citizens, women and young children are scared to try to get such anti-social elements to stop or move away, affected local communities lamented that these youth display a ‘care-a-damn attitude’ and show no fear of the law. Sometimes these youth even play loud music and are also involved in fights at such locations.
Affected residents said that such activities not only pose a threat to public safety but also disrupt the peace and tranquillity of the neighbourhood. They fear for their security, citing potential incidents of violence, vandalism, and noise disturbances that accompany such gatherings. Moreover, alcohol consumption in public spaces raises issues of littering, sanitation, and the overall degradation of the environment.
Many residents worry about the negative impact on the sense of community well-being, as such activities deter families and law-abiding citizens from enjoying their neighbourhood.
They advocated for increased police patrols, stricter regulations, and community engagement initiatives to address these concerns and ensure the safety of residents in these areas.
