Uncontrolled water sports activity along the Calangute-Baga shoreline is posing a danger to swimmers in the sea, inconveniencing tourists on the beach and in the shacks and is generally ruining tourism in the tourism hotspot of Goa.
According to John Lobo, general secretary of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS), the tourism department has earmarked only one spot along Calangute-Baga for water sports. But water sports operators are crowding the beach at around seven spots. Also, further to a court order, the government has instructed water sports operators to erect a booth and follow the queue system for customers as per a TOI report.
In reality, it's a free-for-all at Calangute-Baga with agents of the water sports operators running after guests up to the main road and pursuing them to get commissions, alleges Lobo.
But Lobo clarifies, "I am not against water sports. In fact, water sports are necessary for tourism to flourish. But they should be regulated and guidelines should be enforced."
Lobo, a long-time shack owner at Baga beach, admits that shack owners are also affected by the unregulated water sports activity. He claims that jet skis not only spew petroleum fuel into the sea, they also send petroleum fumes wafting into the shacks thus affecting diners there. But the main problem is that jet skis and other water sports operate in areas earmarked for swimming. The swimmers' bodies are coated with a film of petroleum fuel and jet skis have hit quite a few swimmers in the recent past. "Almost no foreigner wants to swim at Baga. Foreigners are deserting Baga beach because of this problem," Lobo claims.
Another problem is parasailing. At some places, the parachute brings the tourists back to the beach and the parachute itself falls in the sand. As the parachute flutters during the next lift-off, all the sand is sprayed on tourists sitting on beach beds all around.
Lobo also alleges that water sports are supposed to stop before sunset but in reality, they goes on up to 7.30 in the evening.
Lobo suggests that the government should have water sports activity about 200m from the shoreline, in a channel that runs parallel to the shore. Presently, jet skis are operating barely 5m from the shoreline, in swimming zones and posing great danger to swimmers.
Jose Fernandes, a water sports operator at Baga conceded that there is scope for regulation of the activity. "The queue system for availing of water sports has collapsed,"he said. The workers involved in running water sports activities are migrants, and they do not pay heed to advice and there is total chaos, he added.
So who is to blame? Fernandes refused to blame anyone, but said there is stiff competition among operators and that was causing the problems.
"Marine police and local police are collecting haftas from everyone, including the hawkers on the beach. I believe the hafta money is shared by all. I have complained to the tourism director at least 50 times but nothing is happening. The new chief minister talks of stopping corruption. He should know there is open corruption on the beaches," Lobo said.
Lobo claims he has annoyed local police for raising his voice over the issue. "They were instigating the water sports operators to file a complaint against my shack to finish off my business. But my friends in water sports refused because they blame the government for failing to enforce the rules," Lobo said.
Tourism director Swapnil Naik denied things were so bad. Naik, however, said that the swimming and no-swimming zones keep on shifting depending on the tide and other factors. But lifeguards mark these on a daily basis. Naik also said that this year, the government has constituted associations of the water sports operators and that they are maintaining the queue system. However, the tourism department has re-constituted the old committee which will re-demarcate the full beach to segregate spots for swimming, for water sports and so on, Naik said.