Panaji/Colva: Beaches stretches in North and South Goa were an unwelcoming sight for visitors as they were covered in oily matter after tar balls surfaced along parts of the long Pernem and Salcete coastlines.Along the entire beach stretch from Colva to Cavelossim in South Goa and from Arambol to Morjim and elsewhere in North Goa, the skewed lines of the oily deposit were clearly visible with the high tide bringing it in further inland.Viewed as an annual pre-monsoon nuisance, the tar balls did not seem a major problem as yet on Thursday as they were tiny. But, tourists and locals had to walk carefully to avoid being stained and spattered with the sticky matter.Tourists visiting the coastal stretches of the state’s northern taluka of Pernem posted photos of the oily mess. “Some tourists were reluctant to take a swim or even dip their feet in the sea,” a tourism stakeholder said.Traditional fishermen said it is a yearly problem affecting them, shack owners, tourists and even locals. “When we bring in our catch, the oily blobs get stuck to the fresh fish,” a fisherman said.Release or dumping of oil by rogue ships emptying their tanks or leakage from oil rigs has been attributed to the tar ball menace. The churning of currents in the high seas ends in deposition of oily blobs on the coastline, especially during May-October season, fouling the water and beach ambience.Salcete has a long coastline with several beaches — Colva, Cavelossim, Betalbatim, Benaulim, Varca and Carmona. In Pernem, Keri, Arambol, Ashvem and Morjim form a slightly shorter coastal stretch than Salcete.All these beaches attract a large number of tourists throughout the year. Besides, elderly locals visit the beach during the pre-monsoon season for the annual saltwater bath. Sources in Drishti Marine said they have informed their officials about the tar balls. “We tried to clean up some areas, but overnight more tar balls washed ashore along with other garbage,” an official said.The deposition of oily hydrocarbons was first noticed in 1970s, but the menace has increased over the last few decades.

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