by Lenny Barretto
for Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (MB)
Panaji, May 10: Every Saturday and Sunday evening, Miramar beach, located just three kilometres away from Panaji city, overflows with people, especially families. One can see hundreds of small kids playing in sand on the beach while their parents keep a constant watch on them. The entire beach turns into a big family with people from all ages coming down to spend a memorable evening.
Kids are the centre of attraction. The beach, being at walking distance from Panaji, is most preferred by families. But what we can see is that there are no ample facilities for children to play.
A big fish jetty, constructed some decades back, right now stinks of urine. Some vandalous element use it for urinating. The slides and other fixtures lying on the beach are rusted. One of the slides is so rusted that there is every possibility of kids getting hurt. Those slides installed ages ago are not worth using.
Just towards the right hand side of Bandodkar samadhi, one can see an unsuccessful experiment to create a park. God knows what happened, but the park-like structure lies half constructed there.
The only thing which enables children to play is a huge cement missile shaped slide. Since it is made up of cement, thankfully, it has remained in good condition.
The Goa government is spending so much on tourism promotion. We can read how our tourism minister, tourism director and even Goa tourism development corporation officials including politically appointed chairperson, make jaunts abroad to promote tourism in Goa, which is already chock-a-block with tourists.
While there is so much spending on these trips, there is no spending on maintaining our beaches. Garbage-strewn beaches bring a bad name for Goa. There are no efforts to create infrastructure for children to play either.
Not only the tourist children but the local children too would like to play in the sand. But all these rusting things pose danger to their safety and well-being. Why can't government spend little more and provide facilities for children at important beaches like Miramar?
Rather than creating a separate park for children - that is what they are doing at Caranzalem - they would be better-advised to provide facilities at the existing spots where hundreds of children flock.
There is no proper planning. Or is it because there is no commission involved in just installing a few slides for the children?
The Miramar Magic:
Also read special feature:
Lenny Barretto archives: