Soon, no ducking behind a sand dune or a coconut palm to change in or out of your swimwear. The Goa beach experience is about to undergo a dramatic change with the state government formulating a shack policy, complete with freshwater showers and toilets. Much to the delight of tourists and frequent visitors to Goa, the state government is in the process of finalising a policy for shacks as well as water sports, apart from creating "practical" facilities on Goa's infrastructure-starved beaches. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the beach shack policy should be ready in a couple of months. The policy would help bring some order to the frenzy that descends on Goa's beaches during the peak season from October to March. "We are coming out with a good shack policy... I am speaking to the ministry as well as the stakeholders. It will be comprehensive," Parrikar told journalists during a chat.
The tourism ministry is also in readiness. "The most important requirement is creating very practical facilities for tourists on the beaches. They come there, they need to change clothes when they go for a swim. We are trying to bring in changing rooms for them on the beaches," Tourism Minister Dileep Parulekar told IANS. Giving details, he said the plan was to install "freshwater showers where those who have been for a swim can have a bath and get refreshed". "There will also be other facilities like designated parking areas, toilets and high mast lights at night," the minister added. According to Parulekar, the idea was to eliminate the element of chaos that typically greets the hundreds of thousands of tourists on Goa's beaches every year.
