If you thought Goa is lenient about boozing on the beaches, then you need to take note of this new update of the state. The Goa Tourism department has decided to impose a fine of up to ₹10,000 for drinking on the beaches. Individuals need to pay a fine of ₹2000 and groups found drinking will have to shell out a whopping ₹10,000. The authorities have put up signboards specifying the same. The decision came after New Year Celebrations, as visitors had dropped glass bottles casually on several popular beaches. Some people even suffered injuries from the glass pieces at the littered beaches. Earlier, Goa had banned cooking in public places as part of the tourism policy.
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Goa Bans Drinking On Beaches
Strolling around the Goa beaches while sipping on chilled beer isn’t that cool anymore. The Goa Tourism department has completely prohibited drinking on the beaches now. Visitors throw away the bottles on the beaches, making them unkempt and at the same time unsafe. Other visitors get injured by the glass pieces of the broken bottles. According to a TOI report, the state spends nearly ₹10 crores each year only on cleaning the beaches. Now, it has finally banned drinking on beaches. For violating the law, individuals will have to pay a fine of ₹2000 and groups have to pay ₹10,000. Some foreigners stranded in Goa had cleaned the beaches some months ago.
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The Decision Came After The New Year Celebrations
Despite the COVID-19 scare, New Year’s Eve 2020-21 received a large number of tourists. Post celebrations, many popular beaches were found littered with glass bottles. The scraps were cleared three times a day, but the workers couldn’t spot every tiny piece of glass hidden under the sand. Reportedly, the state tourism sector receives a lot of complains and criticisms when tourists get hurt by the broken bottles. To make the people aware of the fines, the tourism department has put up signboards and will soon have a dedicated tourist police force for advanced management. Meanwhile, here’s how Kamiya Jani explored Goa during the pandemic: