PORVORIM
Believe it or not, a Rs 55 lakh changing room cum toilet block provided by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) at Nerul beach has been lying unused since the last one year, as the Nerul Communidade has reportedly refused to allocate space to install the block.
According to GTDC sources, the changing room-cum-toilet block worth Rs 55 lakh contains two partitions, one each for gents and ladies. Each partition contains two toilets and a changing room.
Tourism Minister Babu Ajgaonkar had visited Nerul beach on September 13, 2017, along with Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar and noted the absence of basic facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, seating arrangements, lights at the beach.
He then requested Nerul panchayat to ask landlords or the Nerul comunidade to offer some space for the installation of a changing room cum toilet block.
Ajgaonkar had also directed tourism officials to install high masts on the beach and to provide seating arrangements for tourists, while also assuring that the lifeguards and beach cleaning staff would be deputed at Nerul beach.
The changing room cum toilet block was shipped to Nerul beach last year, but it has not been installed as yet as space has not been allotted to set it up. At present, bushes have grown on the unused block.
When contacted, Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaokar said the Nerul comunidade had earlier agreed to provide space at the beach to install the changing room cum toilet block.
“Now, the Nerul comunidade has taken a U-turn and refused to allocate the required space. There is a complaint from locals and tourists that water sports staff defecate on the beach in the absence of toilet facilities.”
“I request the Nerul comunidade to provide some space on the beach to install this changing room cum toilet block,” said Salgaonkar.
Newly elected Nerul Deputy Sarpanch Avinash Shirodkar said every boat operator pays Rs 2,000 every year to the tourism department as fees to operate tourist boats.
“Hence, the tourism department should persuade the Nerul comunidade to allocate some space for the installation of this changing room cum toilet block,” said Shirodkar.
