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Goa ushers in 2012 amid
spectacular fireworks
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Thousands of tourists, both domestic and foreigners of different nationalities, joined Goans in ushering in the New Year with the pealing of bells, midnight masses, spectacular firework display, dances and other revelries.
Even as the people welcomed 2012, they bade goodbye to 2011 by burning the effigies of old man. As the evening descended local people were seen making haste to reach their homes so as to prepare themselves to usher in the New Year with festivities and revelry. In order to avoid being caught up in traffic jams people also reached the churches much before time to attend the midnight masses.
All roads leading to the state’s beaches, which are a favourite destination among the domestic tourists, were full of vehicles with the people attempting to reach their destination before the New Year revelries began. According to reports reaching in late evening, police stopped vehicles from moving towards Calangute and Baga due to heavy congestion on the roads.
The Panaji to Porvorim stretch witnessed a huge traffic jam in the evening as police were seen conducting nakabandis. The tourists who were in the state to usher in the New Year faced some difficulties due to the security checks being conducted. Police were also seen checking any suspicious looking vehicle moving towards the coastal belt.
Pubs and venues of dances in the state drew huge crowds, mostly tourists, and people paid hefty fees to participate in revelries to usher in the New Year. Traffic police personnel had a tough time in controlling the “never-ending” queues of vehicles. The state police maintained strict vigil so as to prevent any untoward incident.
Huge jams were witnessed on many roads in the coastal areas of the state, with tourists who had entered the state with their own vehicles trying to rush to their destinations as early as possible. A large number of people had descended in the state from neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
There was heavy demand for accommodation and taking advantage of the big demand hoteliers charged hefty rents for rooms lent out to tourists. People were seen moving from hotel to hotel looking for accommodation. Some tourists, who had been staying in a hotel for the last five days, complained that the hotelier demanded triple the rent they were paying to continue to stay in the hotel and their refusal to pay the amount led to them being evicted from the hotel room.
Source: The NavHind Times, Jan 1, 2012
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