The decision of the Tourism Minister to go ahead with issuing licences to erect beach shacks without waiting for the study on beach carrying capacity by National Centre
for Sustainable Coastal Management, marks a U-turn by the government. Earlier Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had asserted that licences would not be issued until the final report was submitted. The stand taken by Parsekar was in line with ecological concerns voiced over misuse of beaches by commercial interests. It makes sense to wait for the study since licences are issued for a period for three years. NCSCM had submitted a preliminary report which indicated how fragile the beaches had become and cautioned against overuse.
The idea behind a beach carrying study is to also ensure that
beaches are not overcrowded. However, the tourism season is
already here and govt expects 1,000 charters this year. Beaches
without shacks would hamper tourism, but a blank cheque
to shack owners could result in overcrowding. We understand
the government cannot wait endlessly for the final report, but it
must strike a balance between the two. Instead of giving licences
for three years, it could grant temporary licences for one year
so that findings of the report can be implemented next year.
