People stayed in Goa's coast for several generations. They earned livelihoods from the beach and sea continuosly. They never threatened the beaches untill tourism phase began. It started with chopping down of beaches for five star hotels. After few decades degradation of values spread out. Mass constructions on the beaches to set up hotels lower than hotels took toll of beaches. Concretization of coast intensified. Sand dunes turned page in dustbin of history.
In late 1990s when beach Shacks owners were fighting for the space on the beach to earn their livelihood they got public support. Even I was involved in supporting them in 1995 along with my then colleagues at JGF. We had promoted and facilitated the process of organised Shack owners into All Goa Shack Owners Association.
However we had no foresight that the beach shack owners will turn against the very beach which sustained the coastal people for centuries. We had no idea that one day their action will compete with luxury tourism to destroy Goa's coast. We had no foresight that one day they will dig out the very beach that brought tourists to their shacks. We had no understanding in 1995 that one day these beach shacks would form chain of serial ecological crimes digging the beaches and moving the sand bag by bag thereby intensifying blue crimes on white sand of Goa beaches.
There is no process of self-reflection and introspection amongst shack owners nor there is respect and sensitivity for nature. If there was then they would not create this disgusting state for our beaches. The act of shifting sand on the beaches to erect elevated space to construct beach shack is an arrogant act to Goa's coast. This is visible at several beaches in South as well as North Goa. Benaulim and Candolim are two of the best examples of the work human conduct towards the beaches.
Last year there were complaints against mechanical movement of Sand using excavators. It was stopped. This year in 2026 same damage is inflicted through manual shifting of sand; bag by bag.
Where will this take Goa in terms of its coastal ecological security? Every bag of sand moved away increases vulnerabilities of the coast.
The crowding of beaches with beach shacks has created increasing difficultly for fishers to continue fishing. There are fish landing and canoe exit issues that has come to the surface as the shack owners object to fishing canoe presence of the beaches. Shack owners or the shack illegal rentees put on beds of the beaches to attract tourists. This creates additional hurdles for fishing on beaches like Harmal in North Goa.
The point here is when will these shack owners take responsibility for the beaches that supports their trade? Or will they continue in their current irresponsible behaviour in shifting sand?
Sebastian Rodrigues
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