the goan I network
MARGAO
Colva beach may soon get a facelift with a host of beautification projects (under the Colva circuit project) worth crores of rupees underway.
The tourism department, however, seem to have no plan to tackle the stray dog menace on the Salcete coast, including Colva?
With curtains coming down on the tourism season and the shacks no more operating on the beach belt, questions are raised in local circles whether the tourism department has any plan up its sleeves to handle the stray dog menace.
Locals fear that with the shacks dismantled on the beach belt and with all sources of food cut off, the dogs may stray into the villages in search of food.
Instances of dog bites on the beach belt as well as in the immediate neighbourhood in Benaulim and Colva were reported last year, with visitors complaining of attacks by strays for want of food.
Colva Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes said the government should intervene in the matter since the panchayat’s attempt to rope in a NGO has come a cropper. “The panchayat had written a letter to an animal welfare NGO to take care of the stray dogs on Colva beach, but in vain,” the sarpanch said.
He pointed out that the threat posed by the stray dogs on Colva beach is indeed real and feared that with all sources of food during the monsoon cut off, the dogs may stray into the villages.
“I feel the tourism department should intervene since the problem of stray dogs is not only affecting Colva, but the entire beach belt,” he added.
A visit to the Colva beach on Monday revealed stray dogs resting right at the entrance to the beach.
While work on giving a facelift to the Colva beach was underway at the beach square, there seemed to be no one around, including any agency, to take care of the stray dogs.
