New tourist jetty likely to be thrown open in Malpe in Oct.

It will provide berthing for three boats to ferry tourists to St. Mary’s Island

The newly constructed tourist jetty with ancillary facilities is expected to be thrown open at Malpein Udupi in October.

A new tourist jetty, with passenger-friendly amenities for berthing tourist boats, is likely to be thrown open at Malpe here in October.

Tourist boats, which hitherto used to function from a small jetty inside the Malpe Fisheries Harbour, will operate from the tourist jetty close to the Malpe beach.

This jetty would help boats to take tourists from the Malpe beach to the scenic St. Mary’s Island. The island, six km off the Malpe coast, houses the columnar basaltic rock formation, which was declared as a national geological monument by the Geological Survey of India in November, 1979.

Easier berthing

The construction of the new tourist jetty was completed in the last week of June at a cost of about Rs. 2 crore. The existing jetty within the Malpe Harbour is congested, with berthing facility for a lone boat. Tourists find it difficult to mount and dismount from the boat at this jetty.

Hence, the government decided to construct the new jetty on two acres of land near Malpe beach.

The tourist boat facility is available during off-monsoon months usually from mid-September to mid-May. It is not available during the monsoon. This new jetty will provide berthing facilities to two big passenger boats and one small passenger boat at the same time with provision of landing platforms at end spans.

The jetty is 30 metres long and 10 metres wide, making it easier for passengers to mount and dismount from a boat.

“We expect the new jetty to be inaugurated in October after the monsoon,” said Arun Kumar, Director of Nirmiti Kendra, which has constructed the jetty.

Ancillary facilities

However, while the jetty has been constructed, the ancillary facilities to support it are yet to be constructed. Some shelters for tourists to wait for boats at the jetty, few kiosks providing eatables, seating arrangements, pathways, parking facilities for vehicles and a road to jetty, are yet to be constructed near the jetty.

“We intend to construct these ancillary facilities at a cost of about Rs. 20 lakh. If there is any shortage of funds or we require more money, we will use the grants given to the Tourism Department,” said Deputy Commissioner R. Vishal.

“The construction of the shelters, kiosks and parking facilities can be started in August and completed by October,” said Mr. Kumar.