Margao: Tourism stakeholders and panchayat bodies have rang alarm bells for the government and authorities to work out a solution to the stray menace on the beach belt before tourists abandon the land of sun, sand, and sea.
Delegation Hands Over A Memorandum To District Collector
As a delegation of Cavelossim Panchayat led by Sarpanch Dixon Vaz and panch member Adv Irish Passainha and Colva social worker Thomas Rodrigues handed over a memorandum to the District Collector, Asvin Chandru to intervene under the Disaster Management, they made a fervent plea to the government to save Tourism by controlling the stray dog menace.
Thomas narrated a chilling incident while stray dogs mauled a small boy at Colva beach when the victim along parents descended on the beach last week. Dixon, on the other hand, warned that Indian tourists, who love monsoon tourism in Goa, may just abandon the state if there is no security for the visitors on the beach.
“We hardly find any morning walkers on the beach now after the spate of attacks by stray dogs. Tourists will not dare enter the beach if they are attacked by the strays. It’s time the government intervenes to save tourism and the visitors from the strays,” Dixon explained to the district collector.
District Collector Calls For An Urgent Meeting of Stakeholders
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the district Collector has called for an urgent meeting of the stakeholders, including officials of the Department of Tourism, Animal Husbandry, Municipalities, and Panchayat to discuss and find a way out of the situation.
“Domestic tourists love to come to Goa during the monsoons and enjoy the beach belt. If they are attacked by stray dogs, which tourists will ever wish to return? Since the shack business has ended, the dogs have turned ferocious. No one dares to go to the beach any longer,” Dixon said.
He added: “On the lines of the Gaushalas, the government should work out a solution by having two structures to take care of the old and sick dogs in both North and South district. So far sterilization of the strays on the beach belt has failed to give the desired effect because the strays give the dog catchers a slip. Let the Ministers and MLAs also deliberate on this burning issue in the coming Assembly session.”
Thomas Rodrigues said after the stray dog attack on the small boy at Colva beach on Thursday last, the victim’s family told the locals that there’s no point in visiting Goa if they are prone to attacks by dogs on the beach belt.
“We hardly find any early morning walkers on the beach after the spate of stray dog attacks. We do not know what the fate of tourism would be if the tourists and visitors do not get protection from the strays,” Thomas said.
