Beach Security is a serious issue along the Velsao, Cansaulim and Arossim stretch because there are no electric lights on the beaches.
Remember the gang rape case a year ago which was videotaped? Betalbatim beach is where it happened and it is not far from these beaches. Is Betalbatim beach any safer a year later? Stray couples get lost in the darkness of the night with no more than a single blanket to keep them warm. They spend the night in these surroundings. While I am no self-appointed moral policeman nor a wet blanket there is good reason for villagers to worry. Will there be a murder before our inept Tourism Minister takes note of this serious matter? We Goans all have to agree on how Goa has become an increasingly dangerous place to live in recently. Foreign tourists, unfortunately, already think so and are staying away! As there is no electricity along the Velsao, Cansaulim and Arossim beach frontages, our Romeos and Juliets prefer the dark and desolate stretches to 5-star hotel frontages which are well lit. Now, this is a serious problem. Is the Tourism Minister Azgonkar waiting for a murderer or serial killer to arrive leaving a few bodies to be discovered on the beach? He has to preempt a situation which might in future resemble a Shakespearean tragedy. Also, drug users like this desolate stretch of the beach for obvious reasons. The government has shown keenness in installing cameras in Panaji but no simple lights on these beaches even after a videotaping of a rape? Has the government lost its mental balance? Hi-tech cameras are expensive, especially for night use. The good old electric pole and bulb should solve this problem. There is uneven development along the beaches. I fear some vigilante or mischief maker might cause some harm to people in future. With the Central government providing funds for basic coastal infrastructure we need to make sure we provide security to tourists. Basic infrastructure is a first necessary step: Security for tourists, also toilets for shack workers, changing rooms, and well lit beaches are a part of basic infrastructure. Unlike in the north of Goa, the Velsao, Cansaulim and Arossim beach stretches in the south are clean but also desolate at night; so far, there has been no untoward incident. But, for how long?
