PANJIM: “Enough is enough,” was the clear message from residents of St Tome and Fontainhas, who on Saturday following Panjim MLA’s visit, said that it was high time to draw a line to protect the peace in the heritage areas from unruly visitors especially domestic tourists.
The residents said that the tourism activities in their residential localities are happening in a uncontrolled manner.
The locals blamed that the authorities for not having done anything to maintain law and order and to protect their privacy and respect the heritage precincts. They demanded that the law needs to be enforced and the interests of locals need to be protected.
It may be recalled that an altercation that broke between a Sao Tome resident with unruly tourists went viral on social networking sites.
There was an argument between Aloo Gomes Pereira and a group of unruly tourists that went out of hand.
Pereira and his family faced a lot of criticism due to the incident.
However, Pereira says that there is more to the incident, which meets the eye.
He explained how the tourists in the afternoon, which is a siesta time for most residents, started creating a ruckus and clicked photographs which is not permitted. “St Tome is a residential area and people rest during afternoon. Unruly tourists cannot be tolerated,” he said.
“Will businessmen and photographers be allowed to take benefit of the heritage precinct at the cost of peace and the money spent in maintaining the houses,” he questioned.
Pereira said that it is time now to draw a line and protect the people who are always peace loving.
Pereira said, “People living outside our heritage areas should come here and look at the nuisance that the tourists create.”
Osler Furtado, another resident from St Tome said that he has filed several complaints to the police regarding the lawlessness that tourists indulge in. However, he said that not once did the Police turn up to attend to his complaints.
Furtado said that the photographers who do commercial shoots reach near their residences as early as 6 am and the menace continues up till 10 pm.
Valerie Fernandes said that though the Tourism Department has installed boards in the areas, no one bothers to read them and obey the rules.
“Tourists question us when we ask them to obey the rules. We are not empowered to take on indisciplined tourists,” she said.
Residents of Sao Tome said that the authorities have always failed to handle the issue. People complained that the tourists had completely disrespected all rules and regulations even after several messages to the Corporation of the City of Panaji there was no response.