Domestic tourists continue to drink, cook, litter in the open, while Goa govt is in slumber. -- By Nisser Dias

In 2017 the nuisance of domestic tourists cooking by the roadside and in open spaces had been raised in the Legislative Assembly after media had highlighted the issue.

A visit to Colva beach on January 1, 2019 revealed that Indian tourists cooking, eating, drinking and littering the area in the children park, which is right behind the tourist police booth and opposite the Colva residency.

Though Chief minister Manohar Parrikar had assured the house that cooking in open spaces and by the roadside would not be allowed and the government  announced that it would form special squads to check on tourists who cook on the roadside and eat there itself, littering the place. A further announcement was made of setting up camping sites for tourists with facilities for cooking and for ablutions during their trip in the State.

More than an year has passed but nothing concrete has happened to fulfil the assurance in the assembly.

When tourism director Menino D’souza was asked about it his reply was stunning as he said, “lots of things are pending and I’m on leave, I’ve have seen it myself and it is a big nuisance but it has to be tackled very sensitively because of other states.”

As usual the domestic tourists have swooped down to Goa to ring in the New Year in buses, tempo travellers and jeeps packed with the utensils, gas cylinders, kerosene stoves and provisions.

After bringing in the new year they have set up their kitchens in the open space and were seen cooking, eating, drinking and discarding the waste right there or the Colva creek without any  inhibitions and fear of the tourist police.

When tourist police on duty was questioned about it, he said, “the top police brass in south Goa have instructed us not to disturb them and the domestic tourists were drinking outside our booth, against the direction of the DGP to penalize such tourists from buying liquor at wholesale outlets and drinking on the beach.”

When pointing out that the tourists were cooking, this cop swung into action and went around to stop cooking but the tourists but the group of tourists only nodded their heads and went about their business.

When the tourists were engaged into conversions, they were really upfront and said they have driven from neighbouring states just for two days, the  cost of lodging and provisions is expensive in Goa, liquor is cheap, so we enjoy and go back, we have been doing this for years.

There were other domestic in groups merrily consuming alcohol in the park, while some were still in sleeping it off. And the tourist police were turning Nelson’s eye to it.