Problem of strays, hawkers haunts Colva beach visitors

The stray cattle right at the entrance to the Colva beach. Stray cattle have made the beach their second home.

Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar

MARGAO

As the tourism stakeholders look forward for a new tourist season, old issues all come to haunt visitors to the world famous Colva beach for want of action by the Tourism department and enforcement agencies.

Be it the strays, including stray dogs and cattle or the illegal migrant hawkers, a solution seemed to have eluded the authorities so far despite warnings and promises by none other than Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte that the authorities will come down heavily on the hawking at the beach.

A visit to the Colva beach has revealed there’s no change in the ground reality till date. Locals say the population of stray dogs has only showed a rise. And, while much ado is  heard over protection of animals, no agency or NGOs have so far descended at the iconic beach to take care of the stray cattle.

Visitors to the Colva beach come across stray dogs and stray cattle right at the entrance, indicating that a solution has not been forthcoming to handle the strays.

Migrant hawkers seemed enjoying field day at the beach. 

With no law enforcement agency around, the migrant hawkers make merry on the beach as they jostle to sell their handicrafts to the visitors or offer to paint tattoos.

Incidentally, while the Colva beach is hit by the stray dog and cattle menace, the issue figured prominently at the Colva gram sabha on Sunday. Gram sabha member Thomas Rodrigues lamented that despite discussions on the stray dog and cattle on the beach, none of the authorities have evinced interest in resolving the issue till date. 

Thomas offered to rope in an animal lover to conduct Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme in the village provided the Colva panchayat makes available a small parcel of land to conduct the sterilization. 

“We have to address the burning issue of stray dogs and cattle on priority. Colva is considered an iconic beach and visited by people from around the world. It is in the fitness of things that the authorities resolve the issue of strays head on,” Thomas added.