Goa, June 15 -- Residents of Polem, a border village in South Goa, are increasingly troubled by rampant public drinking and littering just 150 metres from the local checkpost. Locals report daily harassment and mounting health hazards due to unchecked alcohol consumption and garbage dumping along the roadside. The issue, they say, has escalated with the opening of a wholesale liquor outlet in the vicinity, attracting not just local drinkers but also truck drivers and outsiders who park their vehicles nearby.

According to residents, groups of truck drivers and travelers routinely gather by the roadside to consume alcohol in the open. After drinking, they leave behind piles of empty liquor bottles, plastic glasses, and food waste, creating...