Vagator/Calangute: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s appeal to all tourism stakeholders, especially the event organisers, club owners and restaurants to strictly check and follow the COVID-19 protocol has clearly fallen on deaf ears, even as Goa’s COVID positivity rate jumped to seven per cent on Friday.
Team Herald moved about the Little Vagator and Calangute coastal belt at Night over the last two days to know the ground reality. It was shocking to see how the Covid norms were being openly flouted.
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On hills of Little Vagator, there are nearly 10 big high class restaurants which are hosting gala events, mostly during the festive week of December 23 to 31. These events are mostly Electronic Dance Music events having the best Disc Jockeys and artistes performing here with nearly 10,000 people in attendance every day.
Members of Team Herald visited nearly six major venues to check on the ground reality. None of these places maintained any social distancing. Hardly anyone was seen wearing a mask inside the venue. There wasn’t any checking of vaccine certificate or RT-PCR negative report either.
Even though these venues were jam packed, more visitors were being allowed to enter. The guests were seen paying thousands of rupees just to enter the venue.
Even more shocking is the fact that the policemen patrolling the area were more interested in maintaining traffic rather than taking action against the violators.
Now the question arises does the open venues, restaurants and beach restaurants have licenses to hold such events that too post sunrise? At some places in Vagator, especially at Little Vagator, these overcrowded events continue till 10 am with loud music and complete violation of the Covid protocol. All pictures and videos of these parties are on social media, but yet the authorities have failed to take action.
Meanwhile, the coastal side of Calangute, Baga, Candolim stretch is full. Here people are stuck for hours in traffic to commute a distance of just 5 Km.
It’s not only in Vagator but the clubs and restaurants in Calangute-Baga are also full daily. Here too it looks like no one knows what the COVID safety norms are. The beaches are full, even the clubs, pubs completely violated the norms.
Will the authorities take action or continue to keep quiet with a mindset of the show must go on….
‘There is nothing to fear in Goa’- tourists
Despite the rise in Covid infections, people are pouring into the State
as they are unable to enjoy in their respective States due to strict restrictions
while Goa is “open and free”.While moving around late at night, Team Herald spoke
to some of the tourists at the venue and questioned what brings them to Goa and
such places in spite of COVID threat. One of them said, “In our states, things are very
strict already. There is a curfew announced and we can’t enjoy. But in Goa everything is open.
There is nothing to fear here as everything is open and no one to stop. This is the time of the
year we need to enjoy and as we can’t enjoy in our State. Hence we are here is Goa.”
While another couple from Mumbai said, ” Goa is known for its parties, Mumbai things are closed, Goa is open and free”.
Calangute locals dismayed
Dismayed at the prevailing situation, locals from Calangute said that the Government protocols are only on paper.
“The Government has laid down the protocols and deadline for these events being held in the State. But it looks like they are only on paper,” local social activist Premanand Diukar told Herald, adding that norms are being openly violated “right under the watch of authorities but yet they are silent “. Premanand also questioned the checking of documents at the Goa’s borders.
“I doubt whether there is proper checking of COVID related documents (negative RT-PCR or vaccine certificate) of people coming entering the State.
Furthermore, Premanand pointed out that some shacks have been illegally turned into clubs, which are encroaching on the beach and hosting late night events. He added that he even made a complaint to the deputy collector about this, but no action has been taken till date.
Another local from Anjuna said, “We are aware of what is happening around our village. But we can’t even go out. We were told ‘Biupachi Goroz na’ (there is nothing to worry). But looking at what is happening, we are definitely worried of our immediate future.”
