Latest news with #RohitMonserrate
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Fontainhas local hires pvt security after CCP's wardens vow unkept
Panaji: 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. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo by Taboola by Taboola 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.'
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Inspectors to be deployed at Panaji heritage sites to monitor tourist decorum
Panaji: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) will deploy municipality inspectors at Goa's tourist heritage areas to maintain decorum among tourists, mayor Rohit Monserrate said on Saturday. Residents of Panjim's heritage neighbourhoods San Tomé and Fontainhas said that they are facing issues because narrow streets are blocked by impromptu photoshoots, noisy tourists peeking into people's homes, urination in the streets (Saumya Sharma/HT) Monserrate, who attended a council meeting on Friday, said that, as a trial, an inspector would be deployed along with a team of workers. 'As of now, we will deploy an inspector there with some workers. Just to maintain some kind of decorum. The tourists are quite unconcerned about the lives of these people,' he said. 'We can just request them. It is not that these areas are all commercial. We still have a lot of residents living there. We will try and if this doesn't work then we will come up with a different solution,' he added. Residents of Panjim's heritage neighbourhoods San Tomé and Fontainhas, referred to as the Latin quarter, said that they are facing issues because the narrow streets are blocked by impromptu photoshoots replete with professional equipment, noisy tourists peeking into or entering people's homes, urination in the streets, etc. Requesting a streamlining of traffic and parking in heritage areas, the residents said the presence of police or wardens might help regulate crowds in the area. Monserrate had assures action last year after a delegation of residents called demanded solutions to 'mass tourism' that has 'transformed their peaceful neighbourhood into a noisy and intrusive' experience. The outcry had came in the backdrop of a clash between locals and tourists who were doing a photoshoot along a narrow street, during which a resident threatened the tourist group with a stick after they refused to leave when asked to do so. The Latin Quarter, which dates back to the 1800s when Goa's capital was shifted from Old Goa to Panjim, is today home to around 3,500 residents, a majority of whom are senior citizens. The neighbourhood also hosts heritage guesthouses, restaurants, cafés, as well as schools, offices, and other establishments.
