Child beggars ubiquitous in along North Goa beach stretch

Posted on January 5, 2018 by crtgoa9020

The government needs to be looking at creating safe spaces for such children. Just removing them and producing them before CWC will not solve the issue as the traffickers of these children will arrange to produce the parents and get them released and this vicious circle will go on. Good and safe spaces with good counseling facilities where these children can go to in the beach area itself is one way that these children can be deterred or rescued from begging.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/child-beggars-ubiquitous-in-along-n-goa-beach-stretch/articleshow/62372876.cms

Not withstanding the tourism department’s ban on vendors and hawkers on beaches, a visit to the popular Baga-Calangute-Candolim stretch reveals that a large number of such individuals, including children as young as five years old, do brisk business. They are often found selling illuminated bangles, wrist bands, and other items till as late as 2am.
People in the know estimate that over 300 children either sell or beg at this beach stretch. Neville Proenca, a hotelier and social worker, told TOI that these children are hired on a monthly salary of Rs 2,000 by their ’employers’.

Inquiries reveal that a majority of these children are trafficked into Goa from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, but some come even from faraway states like Chattisgarh.

“The Calangute panchayat has been trying hard to drive them away, but it can’t do much without police co-operation,” said Calangute MLA Michael Lobo. “I’m fed up,” he added. Lobo told TOI that just last week, the panchayat attempted to send many beggars away, and even arranged vehicles to drop them off at railway stations. However, it seems, they showed up again in a few days.

 Proenca said that the children usually arrive at the beach in the evenings, when the IRB personnel go off-duty. “During the day, it’s hide-and-seek between IRB personnel and children,” he said. “Catching them is tricky business as they vanish the moment they spot men in uniform.”

Lobo also said that since most of the beggars are minors and girls, IRB personnel don’t nab them for fear of facing false allegations. “If anything happens to any one of those kids on the beach, Goa’s image will take a beating as it happened when Scarlett Keeling was found dead,” said Lobo.

The MLA suggested that a shelter home for such kids should be set up. “Children detained should not be released into the custody of their supposed parents if the latter are found guilty of exploiting them,” he said.

Calangute PI Jivba Dalvi said that his station has been proactive in rescuing children found begging or selling goods. “Last month, we rescued 12 children and produced them before the child welfare committee,” he said.
Posted in News & Analysis, Women & Children | Leave a comment

Speed governor issue: Sawaikar takes up concerns of cabbies with Gadkari

Posted on January 5, 2018 by crtgoa9020

Where was Sawaikar sleeping all this time? or is this the governments way to drag its feet yet again and have its fingers in both pies and keep matters at stale mate!

http://www.navhindtimes.in/speed-governor-issue-sawaikar-takes-up-concerns-of-cabbies-with-gadkari/

 

Posted in Federation of Associations of Tourist Taxi Owners and Drivers - FATTOD Goa | Leave a comment

Lucky 7 saga: govt oscillates on EIA study by NIO

Posted on January 5, 2018 by crtgoa9020

When one enjoys political cover, one can get away with the gravest possible environmental blunders and the government will not say a thing. This is the case of MV lucky seven . Gopal khanda has gone away scot free for not listening to the captain of ports warnings and for damaging the coast

http://www.navhindtimes.in/lucky-7-saga-govt-oscillates-on-eia-study-by-nio/

 

Posted in Beaches of Goa | Leave a comment

Mighty waves eat into few South Goa beaches

Posted on January 3, 2018 by crtgoa9020

“Well formation could be due to removal of sand by someone, which worsened due to the marine action. It’s strange that turbulent activities are witnessed post-monsoon too,” this is what Antonio Mascarenhas says. Do we need ask who could the culprits be? It is a well known fact that most shacks sand mine  from the beach and use the sand, packed in gunny bags as foundation for their shacks, many a times snad dunes are destroyed in the process and sometimes natural vegetation as well . These are natural protectors of the coast from storms, floods etc.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/mighty-waves-eat-into-few-south-goa-beaches/articleshow/62343459.cms

High tidal waves have led to removal of sand dune sediments, allowing seawater to chart its own course beyond the beaches at certain stretches spanning from Colva to Benaulim. At many places, water ingressed into the sandy turf leading to a ‘well formation’.

The phenomena are more noticeable at Colva and Sernabatim, where tourists flock in large numbers. A fisherman tending to his nets said, “Well formation could be due to whirlpoola caused by a sudden surge of water.”

 Antonio Mascarenhas, an expert on sand erosion, attributed the water ingress to ‘wave-cut scarps’ that normally happen during monsoons. “The recent changes could be possibly due to some abnormal behaviour of the wind or waves at that time,” he said.
 “Well formation could be due to removal of sand by someone, which worsened due to the marine action. It’s strange that turbulent activities are witnessed post-monsoon too,” he said.
 Another expert Virupaxa Banakar said the well formation could be due to circular sand triations, which develop only when the water is rotating. During high tide, a lot of energy occurs and water course is blocked, and redistribution assumes the form of rotating water leading to soil erosion.
Posted in Beaches of Goa, Environment | Leave a comment

Shores dotted with garbage

Posted on January 3, 2018 by crtgoa9020

Is Drishti not undertaking its part of cleaning the beaches? or is this another scam to fool the public? This is what happens when the government doesn’t apply itself and hand over beach cleaning to a company that is entrusted to saving lives on the beaches. The last beach cleaning contract is still under the lokyukta scanner … is this going to be another such case?

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/shores-dotted-with-garbage/articleshow/62343452.cms

The coastal area from Colva to Benaulim continues to cry for attention, with huge quantities of uncollected waste littering the beaches following New Year revelries.

 At Sernabatim beach, two foreign tourists were spotted collecting discarded beverage bottles and other garbage and depositing it in waste bins near the beach’s entrance. Most shack owners in the area claimed to have cleared the garbage around their respective shacks and were of the opinion that the isolated patches of waste had been left behind by revellers who had had their own gatherings. Some of them also went on to state that authorities had promised to provide more personnel to clean the beach, but no such step seemed to have been taken.

 

Posted in Beaches of Goa | Leave a comment

‘Ban focus lights on river cruise vessels’

Posted on January 2, 2018 by crtgoa9020
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/ban-focus-lights-on-river-cruise-vessels/articleshow/62330142.cms
 The state directorate of transport in a letter addressed to Captain of Ports (CoP) has demanded that the use of high intensity focus lights by river cruise vessels plying on the Mandovi river be banned.

“It has come to the notice of this department (transport) that some river cruise vessels plying in River Mandovi are using high intensity tracer/focus lights on their decks and the same is projected in such a manner that could lead to a major distraction of drivers/motorists who are plying their vehicles on Mandovi bridge as well as along the DB Marg,” transport director Nikhil Desai said in the letter.

Desai said that the possibility of fatal accidents occurring, due to the practice of using high intensity tracer lights, could not be ruled out.

The lights endanger “the life and property of the motorists and pedestrians” and steps have to be taken to prevent “any untoward accident” on account of their usage, the letter stated.

The transport department has requested Captain of Ports to issue necessary directions to all vessels plying on the Mandovi river not to use such tracers/high intensity focus lights and that they “be banned with immediate effect.”

Posted in News & Analysis | Leave a comment