CANACONA
Locals and activists have expressed alarm over the huge amounts of trash left behind by revellers and visitors at the Butterfly Beach, which is located along an isolated part of the southern end at Agonda.
According to locals, the area locally known as 'Rounchi-Vell' used to be a favourite fishing spot for anglers, who would also take their families on a day-long or even an overnight picnic.
Trekking through the forest and hillocks used to be the only access to reach this spot for locals from Agonda or Palolem.
However, in recent times, tourist operators began using Dolphin boating trips to take tourists to this isolated spot and it became popularly known as Butterfly Beach after the area is believed to have resembled a butterfly.
The Butterfly beach soon became a hotspot for tourist boat trips, as tourists would frequently visit the area for picnics, except during monsoons when trips to the beach were not considered safe.
The Butterfly beach soon gained popularity for rave and night parties, but locals and nature lovers complained that litter would be left behind at the beach.
The Canacona-based NGO ‘Goenkar’, which is focused on preserving the environment in Canacona taluka, has often raised an alarm over the trash discarded by visitors to Butterfly beach.
Over the last few days, the issue of garbage at Butterfly beach has also been highlighted on social media.
One visitor to Butterfly beach posted a message on his Facebook page inviting attention to the “ugly side which nobody wants to see”. The visitor went on to blame the irresponsibility and said loud music would endanger wildlife in the area and destroy the beauty of the place.
Responding to the concerns, Goenkar team member and Agonda-based social worker Suraj Naikgaunkar engaged some workers to clean the trash at Butterfly beach.
