Fontainhas local hires pvt security after CCP's wardens vow unkept
Six months after promising to appoint wardens to manage intrusive tourists at Panaji's Latin quarter, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has yet to keep its word.
Tired of waiting for the civic body to get its act together, a Fontainhas resident has hired private security to deter tourists from invasively taking photos. Other residents in the area have put up banners at their front gates or doors, requesting tourists not to take photos or shoot videos near their homes.
'Tourists gather around pretty houses and structures, take pictures endlessly, make reels, and create noise.
This is a Unesco-declared heritage site,' said the woman who hired private security two months ago. She said, 'It's such an inconvenience to us when they behave like this in residential areas.'
Last Dec, mayor Rohit Monserrate said the corporation was considering floating a tender to appoint wardens. In June, the CCP council met and passed a resolution to deploy municipal inspectors at the colourful heritage area to maintain decorum among tourists.
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But nothing changed.
Attempts to contact CCP commissioner Clen Madeira elicited no response.
'Many residents are senior citizens. The commotion bothers us,' another Fontainhas resident said. She said that the nuisance becomes intense on weekends when the volume of tourists doubles. Lourenco D'Costa, a local, said tourists don't follow the basic traffic rules. 'People don't read signs, like the no-entry warning.
This disregard of rules is a violation of our privacy,' he said.
Many tourists litter the streets and heritage sites, locals said. Such incidents have led to tourist-local confrontations. 'They bring their alcohol and loiter around the areas so that they can enjoy the view of the city,' another local said. 'We would like to have a different view from our windows.'
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