MARGAO
On July 10, 2018, then State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar in the presence of then Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao launched the Rs 13.87 crore Tourism Infrastructure Development project at the world-famous Colva and Benaulim beach belt.
On February 4, 2021, then Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao launched the Colva creek beautification project, envisaging de-silting of the Colva creek at a length of 900 metres, beautifying the entire stretch with illumination and walkway at Rs 8.70 crore.
On December 4, 2021, Union Tourism Minister Kishan Kumar Reddy inaugurated with much fanfare the Colva beautification works, including toilets and changing rooms, throwing up a question or two -- Have these projects changed the face of the world-famous Colva beach or are the issues plaguing Colva far from over.
Colvenkars say all is indeed not well at the iconic beach. They questioned how come the Colva creek is contaminated with filth and abandoned bottles and the strays making the beach their second home?
Demanding to know the meaning of iconic, a resident Joe Francis wondered: “If Colva is iconic, why is the creek still not rid of the pollution and the beach free from the strays”.
Pointing at the greenish-coloured water in the Colva creek, Joe said the thousands of visitors to Colva will not carry fond memories of the beach when the creek water is polluted and become a dumping ground for waste.
“The creek was taken up for beautification over a year ago. Is work on the project completed or is the work underway?" he questioned.
He and other villagers, including Rusitan D’Costa have called upon the new Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte to pay attention to Colva, saying the tourism officials should engage people to look after the maintenance of the beach area.
Carmo Rodrigues echoed similar sentiments. “The department is not cleaning the beach square. People contribute the money to keep the beach square clean. Is this not the responsibility of the Tourism department?" he questioned.
They demanded that the Tourism department should put a mechanism in place wherein the CCTV cameras and illumination is maintained 24x7 to keep miscreants and anti-socials at bay.
“The illumination installed here as part of the beautification project is not bright. People take advantage of the situation to drink liquor on the beach. This should not happen”, they asserted.
The locals pointed out that though funds have been spent to give Colva beach a facelift, what has been lacking at the beach is the maintenance.
“They had put a wall to arrest the movement of sand, but whatever sand that has come towards the land is not cleared. Similarly, the toilet blocks are in place, but often one finds traces of sand inside the premises”, they pointed out.
Tourist facilitation centres shut since inauguration
MARGAO
Why are the tourist facilitation centres set up at the Colva and Benaulim beaches? And, why are these centres shut since their inauguration five months ago?
These and other questions are being asked by locals and visitors alike as the tourist facilitation centre set up under the centrally-funded beach development scheme remains closed.
When Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy had inaugurated the beach beautification project at Colva on December 4, he was taken aback when he was told that funds to the tune of Rs 3.5 crore has gone into the construction of the Tourist Facilitation centres at Colva and Benaulim, with the Minister even having remarked that it is a wastage of public funds.
Five months down the lane, Colvenkars have a question or two for the State tourism authorities – why is the facilitation centre shut since day one after spending public funds?
Locals pointed out that they always found the centre shut since its inauguration, only throwing up questions about why the government spent precious taxpayer’s money on the project if there’s no place to put the infrastructure to use.
Plants around Colva beach circle perish for want of maintenance
MARGAO
When Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy along with Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik, then State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar descended on the world-famous Colva beach to launch beautification works on December 4, last year, they all found themselves amid greenery, with ornamental plants dotting the Colva beach circle and the traffic dividers.
Five months down the lane, the plants have all died for want of maintenance. Dry plants at the beach circle and along the traffic dividers bear testimony to the fact that there was no maintenance, including watering of the plants since the day when the beautification project was launched by the VVIPs.
This has thrown up a question or two amongst locals, whether the ornamental plants and flower pots were arranged at the beach square to dish out a pleasant impression to the Union Ministers.
Lashing out at the pathetic state of affairs, a Colva villager said the dead plants at the square leave visitors to wonder whether the authorities have left the place to resemble a desert.
