Panaji, Sep 7 - Goa Governor S.S. Sidhu Monday termed the beach erosion along the state's 105-km long coast as a matter of 'serious concern'.

Inaugurating a conference on local self-government for sustainable and safe cities, hosted by the Delhi-based All India Institute of Local Self-Government, Sidhu not only voiced serious concern about environmental degradation in Goa, but also raised a red flag about the threat to the state's beaches, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

'A coastal state like Goa has serious challenges of climatic change due to which there is a rise in sea water level,' he said, warning of the dangers of such a scenario.

Sidhu cautioned against the increasing levels of contamination of ground water, which did not bode well for the small state.