Foreign tourists collecting garbage, keeping beaches clean
PERNEM
It is a general assumption that the tourists who come from foreign countries to Goa, have only one intention – of drugs, rave parties and entertainment. However, some tourists on Saturday cleaned the beaches and roadside garbage at Arambol, thus giving a message to keep the ecology and environment clean. The cleaning campaign was conducted through Clean Nature Centre and Party Hunt, a mobile App.
Goa sees many tourist footfalls, foreign and domestic, who visit coastal areas and tourist spots across Goa. Some of these tourists are found indulging in illegal and unethical businesses, however there are few who truly believe that the nature should be protected and the environment around should be clean and hygienic. Spreading this message some tourists in Arambol cleaned the beaches, and roadsides and collected various types of garbage. Some of these tourists were singers and musicians, who participated voluntarily in the garbage collection campaign.
It was amusing to seen the tourists wearing headphones, enjoying music and also collecting the garbage at the same time. Those who were indulged in garbage collection were provided vegetarian lunch, along with fruits and vegetables and drinking water.
Clean Nature Centre organisers were vocal about the garbage created on the beach sides. Stating that the parties that are organised in coastal zone, put up boards or distribute pamphlets of advertisements. These pamphlets are thrown all over thus creating garbage. Also a mobile App has been started, ‘Party Hunt’ to advertise about parties. This will put an end to boards of parties or distribution of advertisement pamphlets and cards. “The App would keep a control on this,” said the organiser. Party Hunt App has been successful in making two lakh people join, and this App offers advertisements of parties and their venues.
The government offers funds to the Gram Panchayats to collect garbage. Some of the Panchayats utilise the money appropriately. However, who would clean the beaches, is a million dollar question, which is solved to some extent by the foreign tourists in Morjim who collect plastic in the area.
Tembwada at Morjim has lot of garbage accumulated. The contract to clean the beaches has been given to Drishti, and the organisation has appointed workers to pick up garbage from Morjim beaches. But they do not pick up garbage from the river banks. The Russian tourists have been indulged in picking up garbage from the beaches for the past few days.
A Russian tourist Tito Alexander stated that he comes to Goa every year, and sees the garbage thrown all over the beach. “Each person in the village should see that he/she throws the garbage in dustbins and not on the streets or beaches. There should be CCTV cameras all over to keep a check on the people. All come to the beach for a stroll, and if each person gives 10 minutes daily to pick up the garbage, it won’t take much time to keep the beach clean,” said Tito, adding, many other tourists also joined them after seeing them pick up garbage.
