The Butt Road beach, developed in 2010 with Rs.2.43 crore from the Tsunami Rehabilitation Fund, has fallen on bad days. The present plight of a ‘lagoon,’ built on the beach to attract tourists, is a strong indicator to the apathy of tourism authorities. The artificial waterbody is used mostly by street dogs and crows to take a dip. It also functions as the most convenient public dustbin.
The beach’s maintenance has suffered because of certain issues between the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and the Department of Ports. A. Pradeepkumar, MLA, says the DTPC has been ignoring the site for two years. The council has had no secretary during this period.
The dispute between the Department of Ports and the DTPC remains unsettled, Mr. Pradeepkumar says. “The beach is being shorn of its appeal. The situation can be salvaged only if the DTPC takes up the maintenance,” he says.
On the city’s long coastline, the Butt road beach used to stand out with its clean sand bed, foliage, and spacious walkways.
But laxity in maintenance has begun to take a toll. Most of the ornamental lights fixed during the development process have vanished. According to official sources, new lights will be fixed only after the DTPC takes over the beach or security guards are posted.
“Only the occasional police patrol offers some protection to the area,” says Sanal, a local person. The space set aside for setting up a cafeteria is a haven for miscreants and drunkards, he says.
Local people have been demanding immediate steps to clean the lagoon, which is disfiguring the whole area. Throughout the monsoon season, it remains a wastewater container. Providing sufficient number of dustbins is the only solution, they say.
