the goan I network
MARGAO
Domestic tourists had a field day at the world famous Colva beach on New Year day as they made merry with liquor right on the beach with a lone policeman unable to rein in on the liquor consumption at public place.
As hundreds of tourists flocked to the Colva beach on Tuesday, a lone policeman was seen on duty in the morning, as his colleagues took a break after hours of night duty. The result being that the lone policeman could not rein in on the domestic tourists, many of whom descended on the beach with cartons of canned beer, while others came with liquor bottles to usher in the New Year.
Small groups of domestic tourists were seen enjoying beer, right from the beach to the coconut grove, with the law enforcing agencies conspicuous by their absence.
Sources at the Colva police station informed that the skeletal police staff deployed at the Colva beach proved ineffective to rein in on the visitors openly consuming beer and liquor on the beach.
That liquor flowed at the Colva beach since last night was evident by the fact that empty liquor bottles were found abandoned on the beach stretch on Tuesday morning.
The Goa police had deployed around 200 police personnel all along the Salcete beach belt Monday night anticipating rush of visitors, including both domestic tourists and local residents. Security at the crowed Colva beach was personally manned by district police chief, SP Arvind Gawas, who had stationed himself on the life guard watch tower, monitoring the situation.
According to DySP Traffic, Prabodh Shirwaikar, around 2000 vehicles, including hundreds of outstation vehicles, were found parked at Colva and Benaulim beach belt since Monday evening. Many of these tourists, sources informed, stayed put at the Colva beach on Tuesday morning, and were expected to leave the State by evening.
