COLVA/CALANGUTE: Hundreds, if not thousands, kept the coastal stretches of North and South Goa throbbing through the night up to early hours of January 1, as tourists from across the country took benefit of Goa government’s liberal stand of not imposing night curfew on New Year’s Eve. The morning after, the proof of the party lay in the
garbage
strewn all over.
On Friday morning, the beach stretch from Benaulim to Colva, in South Goa was covered with waste. Empty beverage and alcohol bottles were strewn all over, even in the Colva creek. Besides plastic glasses, bags and used cases and cylinders of fireworks were also carelessly discarded.
Government protocols and SOPs were thrown to the wind as tourists jostled to get to the beach to find a place in a shack and a parking spot.
In South Goa, tourists partied in the rising sea waters.
Colva police and traffic cell personnel had drawn elaborate traffic plans and were seen present in large number at the Benaulim and Colva beach stretches. Traffic snarls, as is common on New Year’s Eve, were not experienced, but vehicular movement was nowhere close to being smooth either.
Visitors were allowed entry in shacks and restaurants along the coastal belt only if they were wearing masks. Some restaurant thermal guns were used for temperature checks. “It is a wasteful exercise as after carrying out the drill, tourists and guests then go and interact with other associates or friends on the beach,” said one shackowner.
In North Goa, Calangute was packed with tourists. However, tourism stakeholders said the crowd this time was comparatively less.
Vehicles also jammed the roads with traffic moving at a slow pace, but the movement was largely smooth, with many praising the traffic police for a commendable job.
Most popular restaurants, nightspots and beach shacks made special security arrangements, to prevent unwanted elements from entering.
No large tourist buses arrived in Calangute for the New Year. The crowd was considerably lesser in Candolim, yet restaurants and pubs did roaring business.
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