Understaffed Drishti and lackadaisical police have not helped make the beaches in Salcete a safe place for visitors, given the fact that there have been four cases of drowning at the beaches, besides the one drowning case registered at Canacona and the other by Verna Police at Cansaulim.
The main problem the life guards have is about tourists, and mostly Indian tourists misbehaving on the beach under the influence of alcohol and even consuming alcohol on the beach in total disregard to the law that bans consumption of alcohol in public places. Given the fact that alcohol is available close to the beach practically every day, there are tourists consuming alcohol on the beach.
A lifeguard at Benaulim, pointed out that the tourists just ignore their repeated instructions not to consume alcohol on the beach.
At Colva, the lifeguards said they are grateful to the police who drive away tourists consuming alcohol on the beach or empty the alcohol brought on the beach.
Colva Police Inspector Melson Colaco pointed out that since the tourism season has started recently and since the law prohibiting alcohol consumption in open places was enforced recently, the police have not booked anybody as yet.
He further disclosed that all the 15 tourist police allotted to Colva Police Station are deployed at the beaches coming under their jurisdiction which are Cavelossim, Benaulim, Colva and Betalbatim beaches.
Ironically the Colva police despite its claims of having personnel deployed at all the beaches have till date not booked a single case of any person drinking in public places or on the beaches while on any given day one can see tourists consuming alcohol without any fear at the beaches in Colva and Benaulim.
