Shacks on Goa's Calangute beach belt exceed environmental norms

The shacks on the Calangute beach belt allowed by the Goa's tourism department are exceeding the environmentally permissible limits and this is likely to be reviewed during the next tourist season.

Notwithstanding the recommendations of National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, the department has allotted more number of shacks than the carrying capacity of the Calangute-Candolim-Baga-Sinquerim beach stretch which witnesses the highest tourist footfall during the season.

The stretch beginning from Sinquerim on the foothills of Aguada Fort to Baga has 196 shacks which are permitted by the state government through its Beach Shack Policy 2016-19.

"The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), which conducted the detail study on the beach carrying capacity across the state has recommended reduction in the number of beach shacks along these beaches for the current tourism season onwards," a senior official of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) told PTI on Tuesday.

Officials said the number of shacks to be permitted on this stretch was decided, banking on the tourist footfall in the state.

The belt is visited by tourists specially during the New Year celebrations.

"But environmentally the beach stretch has exceeded the carrying capacity. The shacks are supposed to occupy only 33% of the beach stretch," he said.

However, the tourism department objected to the recommendation stating that these beaches are frequented by a large number of tourists.

"The department informed GCZMA on the number of shacks to be allotted under the previous policy (2014-16)," he said.

The GCZMA official said that it was decided to allow the existing number of shacks for this tourist season with a opinion that review would be done during the next tourist season.

"In-principle permission for erection of temporary shacks on Calangute Beach, Candolim Beach shall be valid only for the tourist season 2016-17," he said quoting the GCZMA circular which was issued last month.