The pay parking plan at Colva Beach initiated by the Tourism Department has come in of sharp criticism from locals who have demanded that it will spell doom for tourism and adversely affect livelihoods of those dependent on the sector. The proposal got a thumbs down at the extra-ordinary Gram Sabha meeting called to discuss the subject as locals unanimously raised their hands against it and resolved to hold a signature campaign in all the nine panchayat wards of Colva besides submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte demanding scrapping of the project.
The issue of levying parking fees is a complex one and has to be debated holistically keeping in mind the requirements, the impact on the area in question in terms of economics and what the government is aiming to achieve in the bargain.
Colva is an iconic beach and has gained world recognition on the lines of some other beaches in the State, like Miramar, Dona Paula, Calangute, etc. The pay parking concept cannot be copy-pasted in Colva without understanding the ground realities and hearing the local sentiment.
Introducing pay parking literally means charging visitors going to the beach ” whether it is for the hospitality of shacks, just a stroll or jog, or for the traditional business of fishing and transporting. Changing habits and introducing unjustified protocols are always going to have consequences. At best, it is bound not to find acceptability. Goans have been visiting the beaches for various reasons. With the introduction of paid parking, the person who would go for a stroll on the beach or a jog would have to pay for it considering he or she has a vehicle. This would be difficult to comprehend for the common citizen who saw the beach as an avenue to day-to-day destress and a time of oneness with nature.
The move goes against the very foundation of Goemkarponn because beaches have the footprints of Goanness. One cannot separate the Goan from the beach because it has been part and parcel of their living, no matter which part of the State one resides.
On that note, if paid parking had to be introduced at Colva, then it should have been debated and discussed with the local panchayat body and stakeholders. For example, while exempting locals from paying for parking, the government could have worked out a system to charge outstation vehicles and buses, on the lines of other States.
Alternatively, the government can develop or create a parking lot somewhere if the plan is to decongest the area. There are several areas near some beaches which are converted into mini parking lots, and visitors pay and park because there is congestion on the arterial path to the beach. In the case of Colva, designating the main square as pay-parking would lead to motorists indulging in reckless parking of vehicles along roadsides and at private residences to evade the fee thereby leading to an even bigger mess.
A debate and consensus are paramount because there is local sentiment involved. There are locals dependent on tourism ” from shops, business establishments, shacks, hotels and traditional fishermen, and any shift in policy can majorly impact their livelihoods.
On the face of it, moves to introduce pay parking at beaches are beyond the logic of decongestion, and must be studied very carefully. It not only hurts the local sentiment but becomes an unnecessary hurdle in the life of common citizens who consider going to the beach as their basic unhindered right. It must be borne in mind that bulldozing against the will of the coastal Salcete can have disastrous consequences at a politically crucial time.
