CALANGUTE: After the delay in the beach shack policy and late allotment of shacks, shack owners in the Calangute-Candolim beach belt have now stated that not a single shack has been issued the consent to operate by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
Shack owners are now apprehensive that there could be a repeat of last year’s season when beach shacks had been sealed in April for operating without the consent to operate, stakeholders said.
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“Shack owners have installed tanks for sewage and the village panchayats have arranged the sewage suction tankers to collect sewage from beach shacks,” said John Lobo, General Secretary of Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS). Despite this, the GSPCB is yet to give the consent-to-operate even though half the tourist season is almost over, Lobo told media, urging the state government to expedite the matter.
One reason for the delay, he said, is the GSPCB wants each shack operator to install a mini sewage treatment plant costing Rs five lakh behind the shacks which is not economically feasible. This was the reason village panchayats stepped in to arrange sewage tankers.
“Now we’re in January and the GSPCB has not yet given consent to operate, which means that the shacks are illegal. They’re following the same delaying tactics as last year. The aim of the GSPCB is to finish the shack business,” Lobo alleged.
He pointed out that the High Court had in April last year had directed that all shacks not having consent to operate should be sealed by the GSPCB, following which around 75% of the 200-odd shacks in the Calangute-Candolim beach belt were sealed. “Last year, the HC said if they don’t have consent to operate, seal them. Last season we had applied for the consent to operate in December and the GSPCB cleared the applications only in March. It was the delay by the GSPCB that led to the sealing. Same thing may happen this season also,” feared Lobo.
During the ongoing season, many applicants who got shacks during the draw of lots in November opted out for the season by not paying the licence fee because of the two months delay. Some opted out even after paying the licence fee because of a delayed start, stakeholders pointed out.
