Littering must be made punishable offence: Lobo

“Littering should be a punishable offence in Goa. If there is law in place people will get scared to throw thrash all around. When locals and tourists know that they will be fined, then only we will see a cleaner Goa, a Goa where all the beaches will not have any thrash,” Lobo said.   

The deputy speaker was speaking after inaugurating the installation of an artifact on the Calangute beach, as a part of an anti-litter campaign.   

Continuing, Lobo said government has taken steps to bring an anti-litter regulation in the State but it was yet to be introduced. “We are waiting for the order. So that the panchayat and officers like the police or a secretary or some designated officials can issue fines and only then we will see a different Goa,” he said. The MLA said locals and tourists who do not mind to litter here, refrain from throwing even a chocolate paper on the ground in a foreign country fearing a hefty fine.   

“They know the rules in that country are strict. Since we do not have proper rules in place we can see thrash all around,” the deputy speaker opined. Lobo said he hoped the message of anti-litter campaign percolates to all tourists, stakeholders of tourism and people of Goa. 

“We want Calangute, Baga, Candolim and Sinquerim to remain very clean for the tourists to come and spend a good holiday in the State,” he said.   

Dr Subodh Kerkar said that Calangute was the queen of the beaches and a queen should be clean. “Ganesha is the god of environment. Littering is an insult to Goa. Keeping our surroundings clean well be true worship to Ganpati,” Kerkar said.   

The anti-litter installation on the Calangute beach has been set up by Dr Subodh Kerkar’s Museum of Goa and has been created for Ganesh Chaturthi. 

Calangute Sarpanch Shawn Martins exhorted the locals and the tourists to ensure that the beaches remain clean.   

He said such installations to create awareness on anti-litter will be held during the festival of Diwali and the Christmas too.