KOCHI: Puthuvypeen some six kilometers away from the mainland High Court Junction is the only beach that the city dwellers can call theirs.
It brims at the seams on holidays with a lot of visitors. But the relatively calm beach remains neglected, and the authorities provide no facilities.
There is a big clamour now for bringing a semblance of an order to the beach. The Elamkunnapuzha panchayat, under whose territorial jurisdiction it comes, intervened on behalf of a few fishermen venturing into the sea here, and p-rovided a road connectivity.
“The Cochin Port is in possession of the area, and it has not handed over the beach to the panchayat. Some private parties are now exploiting its tourism potential,” panchayat president Beatrice Joseph said.
“They organise a Christmas carnival and are blocking the handover proposal. Nobody is cleaning it or providing any primary facility. We are ready to take over and preserve the beach.”
There are no lifeguards at the beach while the women and children venture into the sea and play with the waves.
“The authorities appear to be waiting for a tragedy to strike as in the case of the Fort Kochi mishap to respond,” said Jithan, a tourist.
Police is seen nowhere while wayside vendors do brisk business with no quality control.
The Cochin Port has built a wall close to the beach to protect its property, squeezing the beach area. The road to the beach is not tarred, and there is no proper lighting.
“On Thiruvonam day, the beach could not hold the visitors who thronged the beach.
“The authorities need to come out with a comprehensive plan to develop the only beach of the city” Mr Jithan said.
