*NGT SLAMS GCZMA, GOA TOURISM FOR 'FAULTY' HANDLING OF ECO ISSUES- H* http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=18697&boxid=17434712&uid=&dat=2/13/2016
COMMENTS: The Goa Su-Raj Party congratulates and commends the green crusader from Majorda Mr. Alex Pereira for his dogged fight to save Goa's environment for the posterity in the manner that the same has been handed to us by our ancestors. The Party also commends NGT for coming to the rescue of Goa's eroding coastal environment which has become the CASH COW for the Politicians and Political Parties. Incidentally, we called up Alex Pereira this morning to congratulate him and needless to say that he was pleased. This is what the Party has to say on ' Goa's BEACHES' in its ROAD MAP FOR GOA [XVII] TOURISM-NORMS-PROJECTS & DEVELOPMENT [6] BEACHES *1. **Beaches:* A forward looking policy shall be introduced on the maintenance and cleanliness of Goa’s beaches. Unsafe bathing areas along the coastal belt shall be clearly identified and signboards displayed and maintained. Life-guards shall be placed on permanent duty, preferably on floating platforms/pontoons anchored off-shore with life saving equipment where such areas are identified as most unsafe and where very large numbers of people venture into the sea. Prominently displayed notices and sign-boards shall indicate where no bathing/swimming shall take place in view of these spots being dangerous and/or treacherous. Any one wanting to enter into these areas shall be discouraged and such areas shall be permanently monitored. However, this shall not include senior citizens and children sitting/playing at the water’s edge, specially those senior citizens who immerse their limbs in the sea water to ease rheumatic and other ailments. Extraction of sand from the beaches and up to 500 meters shall be strictly monitored and violators prosecuted with jail terms if necessary. Sand dunes and dune vegetation protection shall be intensified as sand dunes are the natural barriers preventing environmental disasters. Turtle conservation, wherever applicable, shall be made mandatory and strictly enforced through setting up of indigenous bodies comprising of local citizens who know best and care about this natural treasure. An independent supervisory jurisdiction shall be set outside of the existing purview of Forest Department, to cover the entire western coast as well as estuarine areas of known sea turtle nesting sites and concrete steps shall be taken to protect these sites from encroachments. Littering on the beaches of Goa shall be discouraged through general awareness and through placing of eco-friendly trash bins. Freely available and well advertised toilets/baths shall be installed away from the beaches and easing on beaches shall be strictly forbidden. *The policy of placement of shacks on the beaches shall be reviewed to protect the beaches from being cluttered.* Areas for parking traditional fishing canoes and boats on the beaches shall be demarcated. Stray animals such as dogs and cattle shall be picked up by the stray animal squads to make the beaches free from stray animals. Owners who are persistent in not attending to their domestic animals which invade the beaches shall be fined and if necessary prosecuted. Only pets accompanying their respective owners shall be allowed on the beaches but generally discouraged. Serious contamination of beaches by oil-spills in the seas shall be attended to by the disaster management authorities and the cleaning of the beaches carried out under its direction. Floriano Lobo Gen. Secretary & Candidate for 10 Aldona Constituency for 2016-17 Elections. 9890470896 http://www.goasu-raj.com/gen/news/3712.asp