With a majority of bars in the city remaining shut, boozers are finding scenic spots to down their daily peg and one of them seems to be the sprawling Fort Kochi beach.
Parts of the beach and the pathways are strewn with liquor bottles, dumped by visitors looking for a high by the side of the sea.
The Cabinet had recently taken a decision not to renew the licenses of 418 bars in the state which we found to lack basic amenities. The bars had to be shut after their licenses expired on March 31, 2014.
“We have recently taken action against people for throwing liquor bottles on the beach side during the night. The CCTV installed in some areas of the Fort Kochi is also helping to find the culprits,” said Rasheed, ASI, Tourism Police.
Apart from the liquor bottles, the cleaning staff deputed in the area has to deal with piles of plastic, food, tins, thermocol and slaughter waste.
“The police should enhance the vigil in the area. As of now there are only five tourist police personnel to take care of the beach,” said K J Sohan, Chairman, Standing Committee for Town Planning and a former Mayor.
According to him geographical peculiarities of the spot is one of the reasons why so much waste is piling up on the beach. “The waste dumped in backwaters and rivers would find its way to the beach, which is by the side of the harbour mouth. A grassroot-level campaign that tackles waste dumped in water bodies is needed to address the issue, he said.
The organisations like Kochi Biennale Foundation, Society of Marine Research, Members of the Association of Royal Mechanical Engineers, Kochi Corporation and Tourism Department have tried to keep the beach clean, but their efforts had little impact.
“The Corporation is facing acute shortage of labourers to clean the Fort Kochi beach as more than twenty vacancies are yet to be filled,” Said Antony Kureethara, Councillor, Fort Kochi.