Aam Aadmi Party volunteers led by Capt Venzy Viegas at the Vaddi beach in Benaulm.
NCP MLA Churchill Alemao’s nephew Warren and his team at the adjoining Colva beach as part of beach cleanliness drive. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO: Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao’s brigade and rival Aam Aadmi Party volunteers descended on the Salcete coast line to clean the beach belt hit by tar balls and garbage.
If AAP’s senior leader Capt Venzy Viegas was at the Vaddi beach, Benaulim to rid the oily substance from the shore, Churchill’s nephew Warren Alemao led his team of youngsters at the iconic Colva beach belt as part of the cleanliness drive early Wednesday morning.
The two groups, which had a face-off last month over the issue of banners, went about the cleanliness drive at both the beach belts shortly after dawn. While their cleanliness initiative came under the scanner of local citizens as it comes ahead of the 2022 electoral battle, wherein AAP seems to be leaving no stone unturned to challenge the local MLA, the two groups, in the bargain collected dozens of bags of tar balls and plastic dry waste from the two beach belts.
AAP vice-president Capt Venzy Viegas said the AAP volunteers collected as many as 36 gunny bags containing tar balls and handed over the same to the beach cleaning contractor for disposal. “This is a shame on the government. The tar balls and the oily substance should have been cleared by now. The tar balls have melted and have spread across the beach”, he said.
He added: “Today, we have concentrated on the Vaddi beach, Benaulim. Tomorrow, we will try to see the status on the other beaches, including the main Benaulim beach and act accordingly”.
Venzy thanked the people of Benaulim for responding to the call given by AAP to participate in the beach cleanliness drive. “I am happy that more than 50 people including party volunteers joined hands in the drive”, he added.
On the other hand, Churchill’s nephew Warren led the team at Colva to clean up the world famous beach belt from the trash and tar balls. He said there’s no politics behind organizing the beach cleaning exercise, saying the youth only participated to the initiative of the local MLA Churchill Alemao.
“In his political career, Churchill has undertaken a number of initiatives in sports, as well as to safeguard the culture and Goan beaches and the environment. Also, he had taken up the issue of the Church”, he said.
Expressing satisfaction over the turnout of the youngsters to participate in the drive, Warren said this only goes to show the youth is also worried about what’s happening to their environment”, he said, while thanking the MLA for supporting the Youth of Goa.
