While shack owners have something to cheer about on World Tourism Day, environmentalists suffer another loss in their battle to save the ecology. Despite environmentalists having repeatedly raised issues regarding the damage to the ecology and unprecedented rise in water, the government-appointed teams this year again allotted beach shacks at the same spots – close to the high tide line. Shack operators are elated that Goa government completed the shack allotment process before the onset of the new tourism season, but officials have yet again failed to acknowledge that the environment should not be harmed, this despite the high tides of the last season when the waters of the Arabian Sea had entered the shacks. Goa Shack Owners Welfares Society president Cruz Cardozo has defended the allotment stating shacks are away from sand dunes. “The shacks are allocated about five metres away from the sand dunes. If a situation like Ockhi arises, nobody can stop it. Check the Florida storm. But we are hopeful that Goa does not face any calamity this time,” he told Herald. But there is a word of caution from the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) that is apprehensive over the allocation process with its president, Savio Messias, reiterating that the exercise should be carried out scientifically. “The shacks allotment should be scientifically carried out, while also keeping mangroves intact. The government should look into this aspect,” he stated. TTAG has also urged the government to ensure that the shacks do not hinder the entrance of the hotels. Noted environmentalist and former scientist at National Institute of Oceanography, Antonio Mascarenhas, has called upon the authorities to allow replenishment of the beaches and dune system. “September to November is the time for replenishment of the beaches and sand dunes system. In no way it should be invaded or spoilt but this is not being done. The shacks come up on wounded beaches every year,” he said, speaking to Herald. Mascarenhas has advised that shacks be allowed on the dry beach – away from the dunes, keeping a large space between the shacks and dunes as well as the shoreline, to not infringe the dunes and to keep the vegetation intact. “The geological process should go on unhindered,” he said, blaming excessive footfalls, excessive use of the beaches and allotment of shacks at the wrong place among others for the damages. Awarded environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar had earlier expressed his apprehensions on the improper manner in which the beachside activities are operating, ultimately harming the nature. Separate teams of officials from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, Forests Department, Directorate of Tourism, Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Goa State Pollution Control Board; inspected and demarcated the zones in the two districts about a week ago. Accordingly, the re-allotment of shacks was carried out at the location where shacks existed during the last two seasons, despite Goa facing a disturbing situation like the impact of Cyclone Ockhi and high tides last tourist season. An official citing that several unemployed youth are dependent on the business said, “We have repeated last year’s plan as per the three-year beach shack policy 2016-19. Hopefully last year’s damaging situations do not occur again.”