Drinking In The Open Out, Cctvs In On Goa's Beaches

PANAJI: Visiting Goa during the next tourist season? Here's a heads-up. Drinking in the open on beaches and cooking in public is out, but CCTVs on all major beaches and courteous policemen eager to help out tourists might be in.

Drinking, however, will continue in the innumerable licensed shacks that dot the beaches.

This, as the tourism department looks to revamp the experience for the over three million tourists who visit the beach tourism state annually.

Drinking in the open on beaches is a regular feature in Goa, where downing a chilled, frosted beer in the winter sun before or after a swim is virtually a rite of passage for tourists.

The tourism ministry has already declared drinking on beaches a "nuisance". Those who continue to do so, will now have to shell out 5,000 to the patrolling policemen as a fine for the indulgence.

"The IRB (India Reserve Battalion) personnel are deployed on all beaches of Goa and have been sensitised to take strict action against drinking in the open on beaches, garbage dumping, littering, security of tourists, especially women, and prohibiting hawkers and beggars on beaches," Deputy Director (Tourism) Pamela Mascarenhas told.The IRB is a reserve battalion of the Goa Police.

The police have also been especially instructed to keep vigil for groups of tourists who travel to Goa in rented buses, which also end up as their living quarters to cut down on hotel costs.

"It has been noticed that tourists coming in tourist buses are found cooking on the roadside thereby creating a nuisance. The Goa government will soon pass an order barring such activities on the roadside," Mascarenhas said.

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