Cleaning up Colva

PANAJI: This was a week when Goa's Youth Brigade stepped out of their task areas in Sao Tome, Panaji and Madel, Margao, and took their message of solutions to the garbage crisis to the masses.
The Youth Brigade comprising Rajeev Radhakrishnan, Arjun Machado, Irvin Pinto and Stuti Gupta staged three public events this week in North Goa and South Goa.
On Friday afternoon, the Youth Brigade organized a clean-up of Colva beach in Salcete. Twenty five scouts and guides from Regina Mundi high school, Chicalim, accompanied by their teachers including district commissioner Mukund Kambli, scout master Nagesh Ozarkar and guide captain Lira Rodrigues cleaned up stretches of the beach near the Colva creek.
"It's a good initiative and we are teaching the children to take care of mother earth," Rodrigues told TOI.
Rohan Singh, an engineering graduate from Rayeshwar Institute of Engineering and Information Technology, Shiroda, and Anuj Shinde, an engineering graduate from Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi, also volunteered their services for the cause. The clean-up also received backing from Colva sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves who agreed to take possession of the garbage collected for its disposal.
After the school children wound up their task as dusk was approaching, the Youth Brigade along with the two volunteers continued with the clean-up and went about spreading awareness among the Indian tourists who were enjoying their evening at the beach.
Amit Tomar, a tourist from Delhi, said, "There should be rules, dustbins and someone to enforce the law. Authorities should be a little more strict and police should guide the people not to drink at the beaches and litter it. Otherwise, we will litter the beach. It's common sense."
Shivam, a tourist from Chandigarh, said, "We find it really irritating to see garbage dumped on the beaches but when it comes to our area of the beach, we like to keep it clean. I just request all tourists not to dump garbage and plastic on beaches and in other public places, because its our place and it ruins it only for us." Shivam also lent the Youth Brigade a helping hand in cleaning a stretch of the beach.
Paul, a tourist from London, said, "Most certainly, it is everybody's obligation to take their waste home after they consume things at the beach. This bottle that I'm holding for instance. I will not dump it on the beach and take it back to my room for disposal. We have seen litter on the beach which is disappointing. The beaches are beautiful here and they should be kept that way and everybody should be educated to get rid of their rubbish and take it home."
"I haven't seen too many litter bins really. Authorities should get some more bins on the beaches and put up signs telling people to take their rubbish home or encouraging them to use the bins," he added.
Colva sarpanch Gonsalves said that the Colva beach is in the jurisdiction of the tourism department. "I think it was an excellent initiative by the Times of India's Youth Brigade. We will be handing over the waste to the South Goa collectorate."
Br. Charles D'Souza, vice principal at Regina Mundi high school, Vasco, said "It is wonderful to see the Youth Brigade taking up the initiative of bringing awareness on the issue of littering on the beaches of Goa. There should be a greater consciousness towards creating a greener Goa among the locals and tourists. The responsibility of our environment lies on each and everyone of us and we, as a school, feel honoured to have facilitated this drive and will continue to support such a cause in the future."
Quotes
It's a good initiative and we are teaching the children to take care of mother earth.
Lira Rodrigues, teacher and guide captain, Regina Mundi HS, Chicalim
It was an excellent initiative by the Times of India's Youth Brigade. We will be handing over the waste to the South Goa collectorate.
Snowkon Gonsalves, sarpanch, Colva
I request all tourists not to dump garbage and plastic on beaches and in other public places, because its our place and it ruins it only for us.
Shivam, tourist, Chandigarh