from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Jun 14: The recent orders by the Goa Bench of Mumbai High Court has forced the state authorities to act against the increasing activities along the beaches in this tourist state, which leads to their crowding.

The high court in its order on Monday has asked the state government to formulate legislation to set up beach shacks and deck beds, which are encroaching on the public access to these beaches frequented by the leisure-seekers.

Goa receives around 23 million tourists every year.

Goa foundation, a green NGO, had filed a petition in this regards. The beach shacks which are regular feature along the 105-km-long beachline are regulated by the tourism department and in absence of proper guidelines, the beaches are crowded due to the deck beds.

The court on Monday asked the state authorities to formulate legislation by first week of July, this year.

Palm leaf-thatched beach shacks, a prime attraction for beach-loving tourists, spring up only during the tourism season and are dismantled after the season sets out.

The tourism department officials confirm that only five beds are allowed per shack while additional five beds can be allowed after paying nominal fees.

In yet another order, the court had asked the Goa state coastal zone management authority (GCZMA) to survey all the survey dwellings, units and all other structures and constructionthat were existing in the coastal regulation zone III (upto 500 metres from coastline)  in Goa as on February 19, 1991 and increase thereafter.

The GCZMA is the state agency chaired by chief secretary that monitors violations of coastal regulation zone norms. The order by the high court was passed on October 13, 2006.

Executing the high court decision, the GCZMA has appointed Hyderabad based agency M/s Remote Sensing instruments, to conduct the ground level survey.