THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is the fag end of November, a time when tourism season is traditionally seen to be in full bloom, but Kovalam seems like a forgotten beach paradise.
The beaches are deserted, there are no wayside vendors in sight and empty beachside restaurants have a cob-webbed haunted feel. The only tourists in sight are the domestic ones, and the majority of them from the state.
“I have been working here for the last 20 years. Now we have perhaps eight percent of the tourists we had in the early 1990s,” said Mohan of Kingfisher restaurant.
The fall in foreign tourists has badly hurt business in the destination. Says Dharman of Garzia Restaurant: “Our customers are mostly foreigners and they pay handsome tips.
With the winding up of charters, their numbers have come down considerably. I would say that our average earnings have come down by at least 60 percent.”
Manoj, who rents out beach beds, has a different perspective on the waning glory of Kovalam. “Kovalam does not offer tourists the kind of freedom they seek at a destination.
Most of the shops have restrictions, they have to be shut down before 11 p.m. and this acts as a major dampener for travellers,” he said.
But the biggest blame for Kovalam’s woes is attributed to improper waste management. “The whole area is now polluted and a good part of the blame should be borne by local tourists,” said Mohan, the restaurant owner.
The destination has failed to evolve a proper waste management mechanism. “The beach is fast deteriorating,” said Virjin, a lifeguard.
“Cleaning does not take place properly. Local tourists abandoning plastic along the beach is a common sight. Beachside restaurants too dump their plastic waste on the beach,” Virjin said.
Tourists also lack basic facilities like bathrooms, toilets and locker systems. “For the Light House and Eve’s beaches, there is only one toilet,” said Satheesh, a senior civil police officer.
