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Without shacks, north Goa beaches overrun with deck beds, tables

PANAJI: The series of delays in the opening of government-allotted beach shacks on the state’s coastline seem to have worked out quite well for private shack owners and other beachfront businesses, judging by the sea of deck beds and umbrellas that has already overrun Calangute and Arambol beaches , which see a huge influx of tourists.



While each beach shack is permitted to put up only ten pairs of deck beds and umbrellas, both beaches had dozens of beds installed and doing steady business, even in the absence of the regular shacks.

With shack allotment having been completed last week, the temporary structures synonymous with Goan beach tourism, are likely to be set up in the next two weeks.

The operators of private shacks, erected on privately-owned plots of land on the beach or in its vicinity, have made the most of their lack of competition and put up more deck beds than are allowed. Tourists are charged between Rs 100 and Rs 300 per hour for a lounge on these beds, and the fees vary depending on the demand.

A beach shack operator at Calangute said, “Some private shacks not only put up deck beds, but also have tables and chairs set up on the beach, illegally,” he said.

At times, they even encroach beyond their plot limits, giving the beach a cluttered and crowded appearance.

At Arambol beach, frequented by large numbers of foreign tourists as well as domestic visitors, the situation is the same. While this beach has few government-allotted shacks, the private shacks lining the periphery of the beach clearly encroach on the sand with their deck beds and tables and chairs.

“In fact, encroachment on this beach by private shacks is higher than in any other beach in the state,” claimed a trader from Arambol, adding that it was the tourism department’s responsibility to remove encroachers from the beaches.

Tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said he would send a team to remove illegally-placed deck chairs and tables from beaches.

While yet another tourism season has started, the department is yet to install sign boards with safety and cleanliness instructions to visitors and also to inform them about the penalties for consuming alcohol on the beach and for littering. While the beaches appeared mostly clean, the waste dumped along the periphery of the beaches was not removed.

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