THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:“There, that was where we would sit,” Mahendran S points to some 50 metres away from where he is sitting. “We would be up that far down. The waters would have receded by now,” he nods at the beach which has been swallowed by the sea.
The calm, blue waters of the sea continue to batter the shore, the glorious sands of the Kovalam beach remain buried, with the sea continuing its mad rush towards the shore and taking up the whole of the beach.
Now no one is allowed to enter this side of the beach. It has been like this for the past three months. “Never have I seen the sea like this, nor any season like this,” Mahendran shifts in his chair and cringes at the sight of the beach, as any beach bum would do. 28 seasons, that was how many tourist seasons he has been a lifeguard here.
The idyllic beach that Kovalam was several months ago has reduced itself into a narrow strip. “The sea has never calmed down ever since cyclone Ockhi. All we have left is five metres of the beach now. I don’t know if our beach will survive the North-East monsoon,” he adds.
A pall of gloom has settled over the beach. The traders have been feeling the pinch ever since the last season when Ockhi wrecked havoc. The businesses have taken a hit and the number of tourists has dwindled drastically. “It all started with the demonetisation. Kovalam has never been the same ever since,” says Pema Bhutia, a trader from Darjeeling, who has rented a space next to the beach and selling jewellery and handicrafts since the past 21 years. “During this time of the year, we expect a lot of foreigners from France as it is a holiday there. But the season has been so dull. There were no sales the whole of last week. The Onam season was also very dull. It never felt like Onam this time,” says Pema Bhutia.
Demonetisation, Ockhi, and the recent floods have crippled tourism in Kovalam, the traders and people of Kovalam tell you in unison. The hotels are witnessing a flurry of cancellation of bookings. “There has been a spike in the cancellations of bookings up till October. In normal cases, during this time of the year, more than half of the hotel will be booked. Now I have only ten per cent occupancy. Domestic as well as foreign travellers have cancelled their bookings,” says Rajeev R L, general manager of the Beach Hotel Neelakanta, a hotel facing the Lighthouse Beach.
“Ever since Ockhi, the problems started. We are afraid on how to survive this season,” he adds.
“Kovalam that we are used to is no more here. See those country boats, normally they would be out fishing,” says Ajayan, nodding at the country boats all moored to the shore.
“What had started with the demonetisation is continuing. We expect the French and Italian tourists during this time of the year. but no one has come. The floods have aggravated the situation with tourists giving a cold shoulder to Kovalam,” says Ajayan, a resident of Kovalam and one who has been riding taxi in Kovalam for the past fifteen years. Significant efforts from all quarters can only salvage the beach,” he adds.
Tourism affected
And in whatever part of the beach is left, swimming and other water sports have been prohibited. With no leisure activities left, tourists have stopped coming to this famed beach and these vendors are facing the brunt now.