PANAJI: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday urged tourists and others not to litter the area around Chorla ghats, and to take responsibility to protect it.
Sawant’s remarks came after a trip he took to Belagavi from Keri, during which he saw garbage strewn around the place. “After crossing the Anjunem dam, I saw that people had thrown garbage and plastic bottles on both sides of the road,” he said. “If we don’t protect the environment of the Sahyadri ghats, it will soon turn the place into a garbage heap.”
The Chorla ghat is part of the western ghats in the Sahyadri range, and is a popular destination for picnikers and tourists.
“Tourist and people should not throw garbage and bottles along the national highway,” he said. “If we cannot protect the environment (ourselves), nobody will do it for us. We have to come forward to protect the environment. As chief minister of the state, I appeal to Goans and tourists to protect the Sahyadri ghats.”
“In the Sahayadi, we see a lot of wild animals, and it is an eco-sensitive area,” he added. “I don’t think anyone can enjoy such beauty anywhere else. If we have to protect it, we all have to take responsibility.”
