Calangute: Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira has appealed to the tourism department to avoid allotting shacks near beach entrances, saying they obstruct the movement of people, particularly locals who visit the beach to relax in the evenings.“The shacks are being set right in front of the entrance, blocking it. Where will the people sit? There should be no shacks on either side for 100 metres. Let the people come and enjoy themselves. Shacks are being allowed to set up even 50 metres from the entrance,” Sequeira said.Following complaints, the panchayat recently started clearing garbage around beach shacks as part of an initiative to keep the beach clean. “In all, there are six wards in Calangute that are sea-facing. Individual ward members will go with shack owners and clean the beach. Beach cleaning is very important for us,” Sequeira said.The initiative followed complaints that garbage was being dumped behind the shacks amid dune vegetation, creating unhygienic conditions. “The tourism department contractor is not cleaning at all. Panchayat is also cleaning the Calangute beach promenade from Bandodkar statue to the stairs,” he said.
