An ongoing dispute between the local panchayat and a starred hotel for over a year has jeopardized tourism in Arrosim for the second season in a row.
While other beaches in the State have had good road access, locals and the shack owners at Arrosim village still await a proper access and illumination to the beach and are unhappy that the Cansaulim-Arrosim-Cuelim (CAC) panchayat is yet to take action in the matter.
“It becomes very difficult to use the present road as the path is in a very bad shape which is completely uneven and it is a hurdle to get to the beach,” said a local and nature lover, Rayan Fondekar.
Speaking to Herald, a shack owner claimed that the poor access makes it difficult to transport their daily market material to their shack. “In the absence of streetlights, it is also inconvenient for customers as well as shack owners to travel by the road at night,” said the shack owner.
When contacted, one panchayat member, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that there has been no development of the present access road resolution by the panchayat during the year, even though the sarpanch had assured to seriously take up the issue of constructing the tarred road.
According to panchayat sources, the road construction has been delayed following a dispute between the panchayat and a hotel over the access route, with the hotel claiming ownership of the road.
“Since the hotel has been forced to build a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) by the pollution board, they are acquiring the access road to build the STP on grounds that the road belongs to them,” said the source.
While CAC Sarpanch Josita Cardozo was not available for comments, Panchayat Secretary Kiran Mesta stated that the panchayat has issued a notice to the hotel, directing a halt in the construction of the STP as it occupies the road.
“Now, the development of the access road to the beach will be taken up,” said Mesta.
Refuting the ownership claims of the hotel, locals have claimed there had been road access to the beach much before the hotel was built.
“The hotel had no option but to provide road access to the locals and though the hotel provided two access routes, one on either side, the roads were only partially developed. The hotel had earlier blocked one access road but was forced to open it, following protests by people,” said another local.
When contacted Forest and Environment Minister Alina Saldanha voiced confidence that proper road access would be provided to the beach.
“We will study all the possibilities as far as the acquisition of road is concerned, in order to resolve the misunderstanding between the hotel and the panchayat and to provide better access to the beach for people in the locality. Once the land is acquired, the road will be constructed and streetlights will be also fixed soon,” said Saldanha.
