Calangute: The tourism department on Wednesday demolished four illegal structures built by encroaching on the public beach along the Calangute beach promenade in Umtawaddo.The structures, located near the beach access steps, next to Souza Lobo and on the Planet Goa side, were razed as part of an ongoing demolition drive.“These demolitions are part of the ongoing high court-monitored demolition drive after a petition was filed about illegal structures on the state’s beaches. Earlier, in the last two months, we demolished around 40 structures in Sauntawaddo and Khobravaddo. On Wednesday, we demolished the illegal structures in Umtawaddo,” said tourism department deputy director Dhiraj Wagle, who supervised the drive.Most of the demolished structures were simple extensions, such as open platforms used for customer seating alongside beachside restaurants.Wagle said the demolition drive is progressing from north to south along the Calangute-Candolim beach stretch. Following Wednesday’s action, it will resume in two to three weeks, with 24 illegal structures identified for demolition in neighbouring Maddawaddo.“It’s an ongoing process to identify the illegal structures which have encroached on govt beach and it’s all being monitored by the high court,” he said.
