the goan I network
MAPUSA
They love their beach and on Thursday the Calangute panchayat along with volunteers and tourism stakeholders all came together to clean the Calangute-Baga beach stretch.
Several people, the young and the old, moved around the beach collecting thrash and stuffing them in the bags in the clean Calangute drive.
Apart from the panchayat members, staff from many resorts and volunteers belonging to NGOs took part in the clean-up collecting plastic bottles, cigarette packets, paper plates and even tar balls from the beach.
A few shack owners and taxi drivers also took part in the cleanup drive. The mega beach cleanup drive was initiated by Tito’s Foundation as part of awareness campaign to keep the beaches clean. “The cleanup drive is part of the ‘Green Goa, Clean Goa’ initiative launched by Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant on Goa Statehood Day,” said Shawn Martins, Calangute Sarpanch.
In the meanwhile, Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd has lodged a complaint stating that some food stalls were dumping waste on the beach at Baga.
Drishti has been appointed by the tourism department to collect waste from the beaches in the State. The Calangute sarpanch informed that some locals set up temporary stalls for about a month at Baga to cater to Goans visiting the beach.
He said the panchayat allowed them to carry the business as they cater to the locals who come to bathe in the sea.
“We will look into the issue of waste being dumped on Baga beach and take appropriate steps so that it does not happen,” Martins said.
