Centre for Responsible Tourism, Goa

Parulekar and Nilesh Cabral should be sacked for incompetence

Its about time GCZMA got its whip cracking

http://englishnews.thegoan.net/story.php?id=27065

The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority has shot off a letter to the Tourism Department seeking to remind it of its responsibilities in preserving the coastal environment and ensuring that the CRZ regulations are not violated.

The letter by Member Secretary Narayan Gad has pointed out that directions by the GCZMA to the tourism department are not being adhered too.

Back in 2012 the GCZMA had given specific directions to the tourism department with regard to organising events on the beach. Among the directions includes directions that temporary structures should not be allowed in the intertidal zone, that access to the beach is not restricted, that the beach profile is not altered, no sooner the event concludes structures are to be removed within 24 hours, etc.

“Director of Tourism is required to strictly adhere to the directions given by this Authority… further the director of tourism should also conduct inspections prior to the event during the event and subsequent to the event in order to ensure that the directions are strictly enforced,” Gad said in his letter.

The Tourism department has been issuing permissions to hold events especially beach weddings right on the beach, with only a statutory clause that the organisers will have to separately acquire permission from the GCZMA.

Petitioner Aleixo Pereira has alleged that directions are being blatantly violated with structures including metal stages and sound equipment being erected in the intertidal zone. He has threatened to file a contempt petition before the Bombay High Court of Goa citing violations of conditions.

– See more at: http://englishnews.thegoan.net/story.php?id=27065#sthash.YMgmgyXt.dpuf

This is the GTDC for you…they cannot manage whats they have to but are ready to jump into new avenues where they can rake a fast buck

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/GTDC-knocks-on-GSIDCs-door-to-get-beaches-cleaned/articleshow/55949154.cms

With sessions court vacating the stay granted to beach cleaning contractors – Bhumika Cleantech Services, and Ram Cleaners and Developers Pvt Ltd — the ball is now in the tourism department’s court to make an arrangement to clean beaches without further delay as the tourist season is almost halfway through.

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) had declared that no outside agency would be appointed to clean beaches. It will take up the cleaning process by employing local youth on contract basis. But last week when sessions court rejected the applications by two contractors seeking relief as well as the status quo granted was vacated, the GTDC was far from ready to take up the cleaning job, a source said.

As a stop-gap arrangement, the GTDC has decided to request the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) to supply labour for beach cleaning as there is hardly any time to float a tender.

The GSIDC has contractors to collect waste dumped along the high ways. The waste is then sent to the Saligao treatment plant.

Since September, a source said, the GTDC had time to keep a plan ready after the court case ended. “It didn’t have to scramble halfway through the tourist season, now,” the source said.