Tourism stakeholders to organise mass clean-up campaign in Varkala

With unclean beaches and poor sanitation driving tourists away, local tourism stakeholders are stepping in with a three-day beach clean-up drive, beginning Thursday.
Sanitation workers remove accumulated waste at Papanasam beach Varkala as part of a cleaning drive. (Representative Image )
Sanitation workers remove accumulated waste at Papanasam beach Varkala as part of a cleaning drive. (Representative Image ) Photo |B P Deepu
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and poor waste management have left Varkala, a popular international tourist destination in the state, in a deteriorating condition. Despite the deployment of sanitation workers, the famed beaches and cliffs remain in a state of neglect due to insufficient cleaning and the delayed removal of waste.

With unclean beaches and poor sanitation driving tourists away, local tourism stakeholders are stepping in with a three-day beach clean-up drive, beginning Thursday. According to industry insiders, Varkala, which once attracted a majority of foreign visitors, now sees fewer than 10% international tourists this season.

The clean-up initiative will target the stretch of beach from Aliyirakkam to Thiruvambadi. Many stakeholders have been advocating for Varkala to be declared a plastic-free zone to address littering and pollution. Frustrated by the lack of action from authorities, they have pooled resources to carry out the cleanup themselves.

Sanjay Sahadevan, advisor to the Varkala Tourism Development Association (VTDA), expressed concern over the growing waste menace. “Most visitors are domestic tourists who litter and leave the beach after spending the night. Waste management continues to be a crisis, despite traders providing dustbins outside their properties. These bins fill up quickly, and we’re not getting timely service,” he said.

Sahadevan also stressed the need for a plastic-free policy at the destination. “We plan to clean around three kilometres of the beach and have hired labourers for the task. NSS volunteers will join us on the first day of the drive,” he said.

Overcrowding is another pressing issue. “Varkala lacks the infrastructure to manage the large influx of tourists. While quality tourism is ideal for this destination, the focus has shifted to domestic visitors. In many countries, governments charge user fees from beachgoers to fund beach development. We need restrictions on visitor numbers to preserve the destination’s unique charm. If Varkala’s distinctiveness isn’t protected, it risks degradation,” said Sudharji Bhaskar, who has been running a resort at Papanasam Beach for 15 years.

In response, Papanasam ward councillor Ajayakumar C said that the municipality has deployed around 10 sanitation workers to maintain cleanliness.

“There are no major issues; the workers are on duty throughout the day to ensure the area stays clean. The stakeholders’ clean-up drive seems more like a publicity stunt,” he said.

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