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Goa Draft Regional Plan 2021

The Task Force on Regional Plan 2021 has suggested regulation of future growth in the overexploited tourism hotspots such as Calangute and Old Goa, saying the lack of a clear roadmap may lead to further destruction of the state’s tourism assets.“Critical area plans need to be drawn up for overexploited tourist areas - beaches, heritage sites and pilgrimage destinations,” the TF stated in the draft Regional Plan 2021. The tourism hotspots, especially Baga-Calangute-Sinquerim, Anjuna-Vagator-Chapora, Morjim-Mandrem-Arambol, Betalbatim-Colva-Benaulim and Palolem are reeling under problems of leakage of sewage, contaminated groundwater and congestion from an emphasis on tourism of ‘numbers’ - luring of more and more tourists. “We cannot allow the coast to stagnate and we need a plan to make Goa’s midlands more attractive to tourists,” Edgar Ribeiro, member Task Force said. “It is high time citizens decide about problems of excessive growth in hotspots beyond the carrying capacity and too many gated communities in beach areas,” he added.Ribeiro, who had advocated the shifting of the Konkan railway route to the midland in the late eighties, says 90% of the traffic moves through the coast. “The new hubs proposed in the RP in places like Dharbandora with a link to the Golden Quadrilateral will help,” he added. The Task Force has stressed on upgradation of physical infrastructure to carry the load envisaged in terms of residents and tourists in future through micro-level plans for sewage, waste management, location of STPs and proper facilities on the beaches.

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