KOCHI: Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plogging on Mamallapuram beach near Chennai generated a mixed response, it has turned the spotlight on the sorry state of the beaches in the district. Mounting plastic and organic wastes make beaches an eyesore and the stench emanating from these and decaying seaweeds forces tourists to stay clear of such areas.
Cherai beach
“Many cleaning drives have been carried out and initiatives planned at Cherai beach, but the problem continues to persist,” said K B Rajeev, a local resident. “Absence of basic facilities like proper waste bins and a garbage collection system has led to piling up of both plastic and organic wastes on the beach,” he said.
According to Rajeev, who also owns a homestay, while the panchayat authorities are to be blamed for the poor upkeep of the beach, the irresponsible attitude of domestic tourists also plays a big part in making the beach dirty.
“I have often seen foreign tourists picking up plastic and other waste littered on the beach during their walk. They would then deposit all the waste at one place,” said Rajeev.
According to him, the tourists would always enquire as to why there is no proper waste management system on the beaches. “I remain silent since I don’t have anything to say,” he said. He added that plastic waste also washes ashore. “The currents carry the waste from the Munambam side and deposit it here,” he said.
“The problems at Cherai are aplenty. Earlier, Kudumbashree volunteers were entrusted with cleaning the beach. However, they stopped cleaning and collecting waste after residents protested against the dumping of waste near the public cemetery near Raktheshwari beach,” he said. They used to dump tonnes of waste at many places in and around Pallipuram panchayat, he added.
Puthuvype beach
Lack of facilities and heaps of waste are robbing the otherwise beautiful beach of its share of tourist footfalls. According to Basheer Iqbal, one of the two vendors on the beach, pieces of fishing nets, driftwood, plastic bottles, seaweed and fish waste ruin the beauty of the beach.
“Nobody does anything since the beach falls under the jurisdiction of the Cochin Port Trust (CPT). If any activity is to be undertaken here, sanction needs to be taken from the CPT. Even setting up a permanent stall is forbidden,” said Basheer, who sells his wares from a mobile stall. “A lot of people come here but to walk barefoot without fear once dusk falls is a huge risk,” he said.
According to Francis K, a resident, beach cleaning activities must be consistent. “Awareness must be created among local people, who frequent the beach more than the tourists,” he said. Meanwhile, local residents allege sand mining and vandalism are prevalent on the beach. The carcasses of marine animals that wash up add to the stench.
Fort Kochi beach
This beach is one of the busiest public places in the city. With a lot of tourists, both domestic and foreign, the amount of waste generated is also huge. Though the recent ban on the use of plastic carry bags has brought some relief, the waste menace is far from gone.
According to K A Amsad, a vendor, though the plastic problem has come down, it has not completely ended. “The strict imposition of heavy fines for using plastic carry bags had acted as a deterrent. But many visitors still bring eatables in plastic bags from other places and throw them on the beach. This is becoming a big problem for us,” he said.
“Also, plastic and seaweed come in along with the tide. These get deposited on the beach,” he added.
According to Faisal E A, another vendor, nearly three years ago, a group of vendors under the aegis of Ice Cream Vendors’ Association had taken it upon themselves to clean the beach.
“We used to clean the beach every week and dispose of the waste responsibly. We also carted away the seaweed, which stinks once it starts to rot,” said Faisal. All that stopped when another organisation started its drive, he added. “However, it was all a sham and they too stopped cleaning the beach after a while,” he said. According to him, the main problem on Fort Kochi beach today is the accumulation of seaweeds.
Besides waste, Fort Kochi beach also lacks good lighting, he said. “After dusk, tourists negotiate the paths with the help of lights put up by vendors in their stalls. When the vendors leave, the beach turns desolate and dark,” he said.Kuzhipilly and Munambam, the other beaches, also face similar problems.
Problems aplenty
Absence of basic facilities has led to piling up of both plastic and organic wastes on the Cherai beach
Though the recent ban on the use of plastic bags has brought relief, waste menace is far from gone
If any activity is to be undertaken at the Puthuvype beach, sanction needs to be taken from the CPT
Local residents allege sand mining and vandalism are prevalent on the Puthvype beach
The main problem on Fort Kochi beach today is the accumulation of seaweeds