THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Efforts to ensure the safety and security of tourists drag on at Kovalam beach, a major tourism destination in Kerala. Following the sensational missing case of a 33-year-old Latvian national in 2018, the tourism department has taken several measures to scale up surveillance and security at the destination to ensure the safety of the tourists.
However, many of the projects to make the destination safe remain incomplete. The Suicide Point at Kovalam, frequented by tourists and visitors, remains unguarded and the work to install fencing is yet to begin.
According to industry stakeholders, the tourism department has failed to maintain the destination battered by sea erosion and make it more tourist-friendly for the ongoing tourism season. Almost all major destinations in Kerala have started to receive foreign tourists after a gap of two years.
“There are neither good roads nor better lighting at Kovalam beach. The tourists should feel safe here, so we need round-the-clock police surveillance. The lifeguards deployed at the beach should have better facilities and there are no facilities for police on duty at the beach. The ongoing protest at Vizhinjam is adversely affecting tourism activities at Kovalam and making the visitors feel unsafe,” said R Sisupalan, joint secretary of South Kerala Hoteliers Forum (SKHF). He said this is the time of revival and the stakeholders are in high hopes of getting back on their feet after the pandemic.
A tourism official at Kovalam said a letter had been sent to the Tourism Directorate to scale up safety and security at the beach in view of the increased footfall of domestic and international tourists at the destination. “We are following it up. We need to enhance surveillance and need more police officials on duty at the beach,” said the official.
To scale up surveillance and ensure the safety of tourists, the tourism department has installed 10 ANPR (automatic number-plate recognition) cameras at various points leading to the destination.“The installation of the cameras has been completed and the cameras will become operational soon. We are waiting for the power connection,” said a police official.
A senior official of the tourism department said emergency maintenance will be launched soon to renovate the pathway.“Eight mini mast lights are being installed at the beach. The contract has been awarded to put up fencing at the suicide point and the work would be completed within a month,” the official said.