Goa govt may stop sale of alcohol in glass bottles near beaches
CM Pramod Sawant on Thursday said in the assembly that he will consider banning the sale of alcohol in glass bottles and will restrict its sale only in cans along the beach belt.
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He said this after ruling and opposition MLAs criticised the increasing cases of injuries suffered by beachgoers from glass bottles on the beach.
Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said that before the new tourist season begins, a board in both English and Hindi with dos and don'ts for tourists will be put up across beach entrances in the state to sensitise visitors.
He said that a bill increasing the fines for creating a nuisance in tourist places from the present upper limit of Rs 50,000 will be brought in this assembly session, and he asked MLAs to support the bill.
'Tourists who come to Goa want to go in the waters without slippers to feel the sand. But some tourists drink and break bottles on the beach, and others suffer cuts due to this on their feet. Time and again, we bring this topic in the House, but nothing has changed. I saw a couple in the water the other day with shoes on. I asked them why, and they said their friend received nine stitches due to cuts from glass bottles, and he and his wife had to cut short their holiday to Goa,' said Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
He said that all tourist destinations, including countries like Sri Lanka, have already banned glass bottles and plastics on beaches to safeguard them. Lobo said that if this continues, the quality of tourists coming to Goa will deteriorate.
Khaunte said that breaking bottles on beaches is already liable for fines under two acts, and since action began in 2022, the number of cases went down from two in 2022, to four in 2023, 20 in 2024, to nil so far in 2025.
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'The environment department has already notified a deposit scheme where users can return glass and plastic bottles and receive a deposit sum in return. The CM has already held a meeting and has directed to implement it at the earliest.
We have a beach vigil app. You can click a photo and upload it on the app, and agencies appointed will get the waste removed from the beach,' he said.
'Maximum wine stores and bar businesses are being run by Goans.
At least along the coastal belt, we will consider banning the sale of alcohol in glass bottles and ensure only the sale of cans,' said the CM. Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai asked why waste is still visible on beaches even as a contract at Rs 90 crore has been awarded.
Khaunte said that a new agency has been appointed from March, which covers 50 beaches now instead of the earlier 32, in addition to 122 dead-ends, which were earlier a point of dispute between panchayats and cleaning agencies. He said that 525 labourers are deployed, and the hours of cleaning have also been increased now from the earlier six hours. Khaunte said that if any MLA can get women's self-help groups to do the work, the same will be incorporated into the beach cleaning work.
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