Candolim beach gets toilets, loses a sand dune

SALIGAO: The long Candolim-Sinquerim beach stretch with heavy tourist footfalls will soon have a much-needed toilet block and tourist information centre (TIC) at Murrod, but villagers are disappointed by the destruction of sand dunes within 100m of the high tide line.
The work in survey numbers in 146/1 and 146/3B had begun several months back close to the beach within the no-development zone.The concrete structures on the sandy beach are almost ready while work of rubble soling for the parking lot further north of the beach has just begun. But, villagers are upset over the violation of rules and the destruction of sand dunes .
“In the name of development, the authorities are damaging sand dunes and vegetation. They cannot even restore a single sand dune and the vegetation,” Agnelo Baretto, a local resident said.
An expert committee of Goa coastal zone management authority inspected the site recently and stated in its report that one of the existing sand dunes has been already damaged. Goa tourism development corporation which had sought approval for the twin projects had assured it that the sand dunes would not be touched. But, villagers alleged that a part of the sand dune was levelled a few months ago and it has been flattened totally now for the construction.