Shutterbugs inconvenience locals on iconic Sadolxem bridge

Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: It’s not always good to be beautiful, and in a similar instance, the Sadolxem Bailey bridge with great looks and picturesque scenery around has become a hot spot for shutterbugs to either click still photos or videos as the locals till now silently bear the inconvenience caused to them by the bold, the beautiful and the powerful class of the society.
A few distinguished locals who spoke with this correspondent about the inconvenience caused to them feel that it will be one day too soon, will end up in a quarrel or maybe a physical fight if the authorities don’t stop this activity.
The Bailey bridge on Talpona river at Sadolxem, which was built fifteen years ago, has become another bone of contention in the taluka as hoards of tourists arrive here to take selfies, groupies, or simply to take pictures of the Picturesque river from either side.
It is also common to see filmmakers descending on the bridge to video shoot romantic songs. The shooting sequences go for hours and hours. Locals say that this shooting is without any permission and inconveniences everyone who has to cross the bridge at that time.
“Like everywhere in Goa, Canacona police is not proactive, and each time we have to call the police to come and stop these activities”, complained a local resident vociferously.
“Due to lack of maintenance of this about 50mt bridge by PWD the bridge had corroded and fearing damage to the iron structure locals made the PWD paint the entire metal structure, now the bridge looks fresh and attractive with a dark blue paint which contrasts with the greenery of the forests and the river water as it stands out from it’s surrounding since than the bridge is attracting many an eyeballs” informed an eminent person from the village.
When this correspondent reached the bridge after being told that a group of 6 to 7 men accompanied by a female are shooting pictures from the middle of the bridge on Saturday, it was seen that these shootings created a lot of inconvenience to the commuters.
Every time a four-wheeler wanted to pass over the bridge, the car driver had to wait for five minutes till the shooting crew and the girl, who seemed to be an artist, walked back to the other side as the bridge can only accommodate one car. There is no space for pedestrians when the vehicles pass.
When this correspondent asked the group involved in the shooting if they had permission from the panchayat or the municipality or from the Entertainment Society of Goa or, for that matter, any other authority, they just started looking at each other. The locals quickly called the Canacona police station to inform them to come and stop this shooting.
“In the past, a film shooting crew and the artists who were filming a romantic song for a film on the bridge were stopped by the locals as police even after being informed didn’t feel it necessary to arrive at the spot, there were heated arguments between the crew and some locals” a local pointed out.
Concerned locals also informed that there is beat police who is in charge of the village. He has to bring to the notice of the station in charge of such things; the Beat police may be unaware of a possibility of locals entering into a verbal argument that might become physical as those who shoot here are influential people.