THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will convene a meeting to discuss ways and means to protect Shangumugham and Kovalam beaches, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said in the Assembly.
The meeting will also discuss infrastructure for tourism in the two locations, he said.
The matter came up in the House with V S Sivakumar of the Congress drawing the minister’s attention to the sad plight of Shangumugham where the beach and part of the coastal road have been eaten away by sea erosion.
The minister replied that the government is in process of preparing a project for restoring the Shangumugham beach, a popular destination of city dwellers.
The protection of both coastal regions was listed as a priority by the government, Surendran said. Sivakumar pointed out that the previous UDF government had sanctioned Rs 4 crore for the beautification of the Shangumugham beach.
‘’The work was nearing completion, but in recent times the situation is that the beach is getting destroyed,’’ he said. On Sunday, as part of making visits to Shangumugham more attractive, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation had opened an art museum at the Thekke Kottaram.