Goas popular beaches were besieged by glass and other waste after easing of Covid-19 norms, as post-lockdown, tourists and others hit the bottle with vengeance. Palolem topped with a 3,103% increase in glass waste while Calangute had a 559% increase in litter.
These are findings of a two-phased study byGoa University(GU) researchers and others to assess the quantum and composition of waste on eight beaches in May 2020 during thelockdownand in January 2021, after easing of restrictions.
The survey found an exponential increase inbeachlitter. A part of it may have come from the sea or rivers. After Goas beaches became notorious as the most littered ones, recently implemented initiatives for better beach management have made a difference.