On January 25, the day the country celebrates National Tourism Day, Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte threw open the Beach Vigil App, which was launched a year earlier but open only to stakeholders, to the general public.
Anyone can now download the app and report an offence -- that ranges from violations by tourism operators, deck bed extensions, events and weddings on the beach, illegal structures, sound pollution on the beach, vehicles on the beach, hawkers, masseurs, tattoo artists, besides regular issues like garbage on the beach, etc that need attention of the authorities.
Over the past year -- when reporting a violation was only open to stakeholders -- 1240 violations were reported of which 1091 were resolved according to the department.
Opening up the App to the general public is undoubtedly a new challenge and one hopes that the department is fully geared up for the increased number of reports of alleged violations that they are to receive and more importantly that they have a mechanism in place and the willingness to deal with the violations.
A cursory glance at the news headlines over the past few months shows that the only institution that is interested in upholding the rule of law and cracking down on violations is the High Court -- and all government departments including the tourism department have been found wanting in cracking down on illegalities.
The Director of Tourism Suneel Anchipacka is currently facing a situation where he has to explain to the High Court why he dragged his feet in acting against a restaurant that was blatantly operating from Tourism Department land right at the Vagator Beach and there was no action taken against it for so many years until an intrepid local resident approached the High Court in a bid to protect the Tourism Department land from profitable encroachment by the private party who was claiming the land as his own.
Even after the High Court passed orders asking the authorities especially the Tourism Department to vacate its land of the encroachment -- nothing was done and the restaurant continued business as usual forcing the litigant to approach the court once again -- this time with a contempt petition.
It is a similar situation when it comes to cracking down on sound pollution and late-night parties along the beach belt, especially in Vagator and Anjuna but also by beach shacks who blare loud music and bright flashing lights with impunity along what were once peaceful idyllic Goans beaches. Repeated complaints to the authorities and the police have fallen on deaf ears and even orders from the High Court seem to have brought little respite to the weary residents.
The introduction of the app will change nothing if the law-enforcing authorities and those tasked with maintaining the beaches do not change their ways.
Currently, a malaise of passing the buck seems to have set in among the various government departments as was evident in multiple proceedings before the High Court where various authorities are staring blankly at each other while illegalities continue. The panchayats claim they have no mechanism for enforcement, and the police and the district collectors claim they do not have the manpower or the money to crack down on the illegalities. The Tourism Department claims it's the job of the police while nothing happens on the ground.
If the government is serious about tackling it needs to put an effective enforcement mechanism in place -- if necessary by deploying officers empowered who will lay down the law both for civil violations as well as criminal acts along the coast. Else the app will be just an eyewash.
