With lull in rains tourists, locals throng Palolem beach

CANACONA, AUG 8
With rains providing the much-needed respite for the last several days, domestic tourists as well as locals flocked in Canacona on Saturday enjoying escapades on the world famous Palolem beach waters in large numbers.
It was an unusual rush of people on Saturday evening with many local residents too stepping out on the beach to enjoy the much-needed break provided by incessant rains, which lashed the State heavily for a long time now.
Groups of domestic tourists mostly arriving in private transportations were seen descending on the beach throughout the day.
Most of these groups consisting of youngsters were seen entering the turbulent sea waters with waves pounding the coast violently, which however kept the otherwise idle lifeguards busy in keeping hawks eye over them.
However, almost a week of fishing activities has turned one side of Palolem beach (northern side) shore a dumping yard for the discarded and rotten fish and solar shrimps, spread everywhere emanating stinking odour all over.
Any visitors to the beach, presently gets a picture of infested Palolem beach shore with stinking rotten fish aroma emanating all over right side of the beach.
A large number of cattle were also seen on the beach occupying main the beach front, which according to locals is a common for the canines at this time of the year.
“In rainy season, most cattle prefer to rest on the beach sand,” justified a local.
The local visitors however preferred to walk along the left side of the beach where rotten fish infestation is bit less, while the unaware domestic tourists were seen moving along the northern side of beach holding onto their noses to avoid the rotten fish smell.
Meanwhile, as news spread about local fishermen striking rich harvest, especially of solar shrimp for a week now off Canacona coast, many mechanized fishing trawlers are heading in Karwar direction to engage in similar fishing activities.
In fact on Saturday, over a dozen mechanized fishing trawlers were noticed stationed off Palolem coast reportedly to resume fishing activities in the wee hours of Sunday.
“Solar shrimps is reported to be the ultimate catch, fishermen are looking for,” informed Udbhay, a local fisherman on noticing the stationed trawlers.