During new year’s eve, hundreds of thousands of tourists entered the state to celebrate the new year in Goa. Some of them came by Air and come by Road and after the celebration, many have left but some of them with their own vehicles and gas cylinders decided to stay back, cook, and defecate on the roadside.
The tourism stakeholders in Goa do not want such tourists but it is impossible to stop them since they move with the ration, gas cylinders, they sleep in the bus, cook on the roadside, drink, and defecate in open.
Meanwhile, the police force is busy switching tasks in between monitoring the influx and on the Bandobast to welcome the Vice President who is on his Goa Trip for this weekend.
According to the report, its more than a week now that the new year celebration has got over but Goa continues to see the buses and private vehicles packed with the budget tourists moving mourned the state and stopping at every point and start cooking on the roadside with the help of the gas cylinders they carried along with them.
In one such incident, the bus that was parked in the Colva area in the south Goa invited the furry of locals. According to one of the local residents of Colva, they parked their vehicle on the roadside and set up their Gas Cylinder and stove to start cooking.
“They parked their vehicle by the roadside, laid a piece of cloth on the ground, set up their gas cylinder and stove, and began cooking their meal. Some of them brought out their alcohol as well,” said an infuriated local who warned the group against leaving any garbage behind.
Tourism stakeholders and locals have long been objecting to such visitors who contribute very little to the state’s revenue and litter the places they visit.
There is no benefits to the state from such tourists, said one of the locals adding that they do not generate any revenue to the state instead leave all the garbage and dirt behind to be cleaned by the state administration and tourism department.
During the tenure of former CM Late Shri Manohar Parrikar, the issue was brought in front of the legislative assembly by the opposition to which Mr. Parrikar had responded saying that he will form the special squad to monitor and curb such behavior, and he also assured and he had also promised to set up camping sites for visitors, with toilets and facilities for cooking.
Tourism Minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Ajgaonkar has himself been critical of such low-budget tourists and consequently had the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act amended in 2019 to include the prohibition of consumption of alcohol and cooking in public places. However, this move also seems to have failed to check the nuisance.
Tourism director Menino D’Souza said that under the amended act, the police have been given powers to penalize errant tourists.
However, a police official said personnel could not be present at all places, all the time. “But we do initiate action if members of the general public inform us of any nuisance by tourists,” the official said.
(With Inputs from TOI)
