In a move that will definitely earn it brownie points from environmentalists but brickbats from shack operators and tourists, the Goa government has decided to ban smoking on the state’s beaches from the next season.
The tourism department will be adding beaches to the list of public places where smoking is banned, deputy director of tourism Pamela Mascarenhas said.
Along with cigarettes, hookahs will be banned at the beach shacks and restaurants. “We’ve put a clause in the terms and conditions of shack allotment that will prohibit use of hookahs,” Ms Mascarenhas said.
Miramar, next to the capital Panaji, will be the first beach where the order will be implemented as it has very few shacks compared to the crowded Calangute and Baga beaches.
“We are starting with Miramar. Awareness is more important... If we start off with the most popular Calangute beach and ban smoking there, there will be chaos. Hence, we have chosen the relatively less crowded Miramar beach,” Ms Mascarenhas said.