KOCHI: Every year at Gandhi Jayanti or the World Environment Day, people compete with each other to conduct cleaning drives at Fort Kochi beach. But once all the hype fizzles out, the beach goes back to resemble a garbage dump. What makes matters even worse is Fort Kochi is one of the major tourist spots in the district.
“At present, the region is hosting two big events, Kochi Muziris Biennale and Cochin Carnival. A large number of tourists, both domestic and also foreigners, are coming in large numbers to see the biggest art and cultural show in the country. However, the filth and grime that decorate the beach paint a poor picture of the place,” said a tourist guide.
Rotting seaweed, plastic cups and bottles beside other waste litter the sand. “It is smelly here. Children like to play in the water, but I don’t want my kids to walk barefoot on the sand which looks filthy,” said a North Indian tourist.
“I think Cherai is better in terms of cleanliness. The authorities have to do something about it,” said a Danish tourist.