The news that more than 8-lakh kgs of garbage has been collected from Goa’s beaches is a mixed bag (pun unintended).
On one hand, it is a welcome sign that garbage from Goa’s beaches is indeed being properly collected and sent to be scientifically disposed. On the other, it raises questions over why there is so much trash being generated in the first place and whether Goa’s beaches are indeed exceeding their carrying capacity and handling more tourists (and consequently garbage) than they should.
Drishti Marine, the agency which has impromptu been tasked with collecting garbage from Goa’s beaches, has informed that between January and April 15th, 2018 they collected 7,89,968 kgs of garbage while during the same period last year, the collection was 2,67,047 kgs.
While the spike in figures is more of a reflection of a more efficient system of collection rather than a spurt in footfalls, it is clear that the problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
Despite it all, Goa’s beaches do not give an impression that they are ‘clean’. What comes into question here is the role, or lack thereof, being played by the concerned village panchayats.
While the tourism department and its contracted agencies will take care of the litter actually lying on the beach, the roads and accesses that lead to the beach and which come within the domain of the village panchayats are often found falling short of the requirements of keeping the areas clean.
The same panchayats which are quick to agree to be included in Planning and Development Authorities do not seem to have a similar enthusiasm to effectively collect garbage within their jurisdictions.
Faced with this situation, the Government of Goa needs to take a hard look in the mirror when it says it wants to increase tourist footfalls when the existing capacity is bursting at its seams.
The warning from the beach carrying capacity report to reduce the number of stretches should be heeded to without further ado and without waiting for the current shack policy to end and tourists need to be instructed on the importance of not littering the places they visit.
Besides being an eye sore, beach litter is also a threat to marine life both large and small and ruins the experience for everyone.
The ‘Tera Mera Beach’ campaign to reduce litter along beaches is a welcome sign but shows no signs that tourists will indeed reduce waste or take it back with them when leaving.
If the issue isn’t tackled on priority, a day won’t be far away when neither tourists nor turtles will visit the state’s beaches.
