Unplanned dev may kill tourism: CAG (ToI)

TNN | Oct 11, 2013, 07.16 AM IST PANAJI: Degradation of beaches due to tar ball deposits, violations of coastal regulation zones, diminishing ground water level in coastal villages and lack of sewerage and solid waste management in the coastal belt could have socio-cultural consequences and negative environmental impact on soil, water and air and spell the doom of Goa's tourism, the Comptroller and Auditor General's Report for 2012 tabled in Goa assembly on Thursday has warned. "There is no underground sewage system or any waste water disposal arrangements in the North Goa coastal belt. Due to the sandy soil and high water table in the beach areas, the effluent of septic tanks is not adequately absorbed in the soak pits and overflows to open spaces," the CAG report stated. The report points out that to cater to the large number of tourists visiting the three beaches, of Candolim and Calangute-Baga, 426 hotels and restaurants and 1,114 other commercial establishments were operating within the limits of two village panchayats. The tourist related establishments in the two panchayats generated 90.7 tonnes of solid waster per day, which was much higher than the waste generated by the most populated municipal towns of Margao, Panaji and Vasco. "Due to inadequate and non-operative composting units, the Calangute-Baga village panchayat dumped unsegregated waste at the garbage disposal site in the adjoining Saligao plateau, which is the catchment area of Salmona spring. Goa state pollution control board found the spring water contaminated and unsuitable for drinking," the CAG report stated. The hotels in the coastal belt appear to be using sources other than PWD for water such as open well, tube well etc, which are depleting the ground water in the region, the report stated. "Tar ball deposits were noticed in a number of beaches between July 2004 and December 2008. In 2006, the tourism department removed 20 truckloads of tar balls from the Cavelossim-Cansaulim beaches and buried them near the beach. The tar ball deposits affect beach tourism. The inability of the state to determine the root cause of tar ball deposits for so long and book the offenders was a matter of concern," the CAG stated. The report pointed out that despite the fact that pressure on river Mandovi was increasing due to cruise operations, casinos, floating restaurants and barges, the tourism department had not taken any action to conduct any study to ascertain the carrying capacity of the river for sustaining such operations. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Unplanned-dev-may-kill-tourism-CAG/articleshow/23943105.cms