Odisha's Siali sea beach a victim of official apathy
JAGATSINGHPUR: The Siali sea beach in Erasama block, which has the potential to become Jagatsinghpur district’s most attractive tourist spot, has instead emerged as a perfect example of official apathy.
Lack of proper infrastructure, including drinking water facility and security, has been discouraging the tourists from visiting the sea beach which can be reached only through a narrow road. Thousands of tourists, who visit the spot every year to enjoy their holidays, are now wary of anti-social elements who have made a watch tower on the sea beach their haven. Numerous instances of tourists being mistreated and attacked have been reported in the recent past prompting locals to demand a police outpost at the spot.
The district administration had chalked out a plan to build a protection wall and post lifeguards at the spot. However, nothing much has been done in this regard.
Recently, hundreds of women under the banner of Sri Aurobind Self-Help Group, staged a demonstration protesting sale of illicit liquor at Siali. Local sarpanch Kesab Chandra Patra had submitted a memorandum to the police and administration to check sale of illicit liquor and anti-social activities in Siali under Padmapur panchayat.
The Surfing Yogis team, comprising Sanjay Samantaray and international surfers-cum-instructors Justin Michael Creghton (JC) of Australia and Yogi of Hawaii, had done an extensive sea expedition four years back and found a stretch near Paradip Port as well as Siali beach in Jagatsinghpur ideal for surfing. The objective of the expedition was to position Odisha in the global surfing map and give a boost to tourism in the State.
District Tourism Officer in-charge Niroda Kumar Sahoo said the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation is constructing a Panthanivas and guest-house at the spot where projects are also being undertaken by the Central Government under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Scheme.