He said some 50 people (mostly Vasco locals) come to the beach in cars and motorcycles to drink alcohol. He said that besides creating traffic hazard by parking of their vehicles haphazardly, on the road stretch leading to the old age home in Bogmalo, the group also plays loud music in their car till late night thereby putting Bogmalo locals and other tourists into inconvenience.
“The road stretch from Sakaram Beach club to old age home has become a major den for alcoholics due to which many locals and tourists have been avoiding the said road due to fear. We had widened the said stretch of road for the benefit of people, but we had no clue that we would repent for the same as since last two months back four of five different groups of people have started creating all kinds of nuisance,” Kavlakar said.
“They park their cars in haphazard manner, drink and smoke on the road, and worst, play loud music till late night. While leaving, they throw their garbage (including beer bottles and snacks packets) on the road as well as on the beach; if anyone dares to question them, they even come attacking,” Kavlakar complained.
He contended that discipline needs to be maintained on the beach as, owing to its close proximity to the airport and cleanliness, it receives a large number of tourists.
“We maintain cleanliness on the beach by employing labourers daily. But if people continue to throw their garbage, especially empty liquor bottles (made of glass, which if breaks into pieces could cause injuries to tourists), people might stop coming down to the beach,” he feared.
“To bring discipline, we need the help of police. But it is astonishing that the police presence in our area is not visible at all,” Kavlakar said and called for “intensifying police patrolling in the area.”
On May 12 this year, Herald had reported that visitors to Bogmalo beach were at the risk of getting injured by broken glass pieces strewn on the beach. Since then the local panchayat has been trying to solve the problem unsuccessfully.
“If even this time the police do not take our plea seriously and intensify patrolling, then, we would be forced to raise this issue before Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to get some relief, as Bogmalo depends only on tourism, such activities by miscreants would damage the identity of the beach,” Kavlekar told Herald.
