It is learnt that the government has directed the police to take strict action against tourists who carry gas stoves and LPG cylinders to cook food by the roadside, a practice which is tarnishing Goa’s image as a tourism destination. All tourist vehicles will reportedly be thoroughly checked at Goa’s borders and gas stoves and cylinders found in their possession will be seized. It seems necessary to extend this ban to kerosene stoves and carrying kerosene in cans.
Even then, low-budget domestic tourists could be using firewood for cooking by the roadside. With roadside trees being cut for road-widening, firewood, dry twigs and dry leaves that can be used for cooking will never be in short supply. Police should also seize cooking vessels used for cooking from tourist vehicles. It is learnt that tourists can rent out a place to cook and eat. The question that arises is whether gas stoves and gas cylinders will be provided to the tourists to carry out the cooking at such rented places. These tourists do not want to spend on hotel accommodation and having meals in restaurants. The only thing they buy in Goa could be liquor bottles. They either sleep in the vehicles or on top of them. Some even sleep on the beach sand, in the parks and open fields.
These low-budget domestic tourists are more of a nuisance. They then leave behind all the garbage for the local authorities to clear. The villagers have many times warned these tourists not to cook in public. But this has not yielded any results. The police force may not be sufficient to act against roadside cooking. It is left to the locals to act against roadside cooking by tourists by being vigilant and reporting the same at the local police station.
