There was an article in The Indian Express on 23 December 2023 about the poor conditions of Varkala and Kovalam beaches. It prompted me to respond and I sent the following feedback to the editor on 29 January 2024. If will be interesting to see if someone responds.

The article was, “Varkala, Kovalam beaches in dire straits”, by Shainu Mohan.

I completely agree with all the woes about Varkala and Covalam beach cited in this article and would like to add a few more and some suggestions.

I live in the United States and have been coming to Varkala since at least 2007.  Over the years, I have only seen deterioration and progressive decline in infrastructure services here, if that is possible.  Here are my biggest concerns.  These relate to physical safety of visitors.

Concerns:

• Cliff Erosion – The cliff has a narrow path from north to south end.  In various sections, the path is eroding and inches are getting washed away every year.  In the middle of the cliff, near Clafouti restaurant, the path has eroded to the extent that only about three feet width remains.  People can walk there only in a single file.  (See pic). I will not be surprised if the remaining path completely washes away in this year’s rains, leaves a gaping hole, and cliff is cut into two half sections. 

• No Safety Rails – There is no safety railing on this cliff which drops precipitously on the edge.  It is a straight 60 feet drop. This is a death trap and a disaster waiting to happen.  Suppose there is a stampede on some fateful day, due to any reason, as the cliff gets very crowded on weekends and festivals, the disaster will be impossible to avoid.  There would surely be serious injuries and maybe even deaths.

• Stairs in disrepair – There are three sets of stairs on Varkala Beach, going from beach up to the cliff.  These stairs have about 80 steps each.  At the beach end, it is very difficult to get on tonthe stairs at the north end as there are no steps for about two feet height.  (see pic).  One has to really hang on to something and somehow get on to the first step, which should be 3rd or 4th.  It is really precarious.  Notice in another pic, an elder lady trying to navigate it.  There are no rails for support or to hang on to.  Many other steps on the way to the top are broken.  Further, sand accumulates on the steps all day long and makes going up and down on them even more difficult.  Just imagine someone falling on them.  There should be a program to clean up these stairs periodically to keep them free of sand.

• Garbage – The garbage is strewn all over the beach in “God’s Own Country!”.  Why isn’t there a creative promotion to encourage people to keep it clean, that says something like, “It is a sin to throw Garbage in the God’s Own Country.

• Air Pollution– Plastic bottles are burned here every day.  Early in the morning, the air is hard to breathe.

• Adventure Sports – This development has made the situation even worse.  Jet Skis, ATVs, and Paragliders pollute the air with fumes.  The air becomes so noxious that I can’t even sit on my balcony at Green Palace Hotel and enjoy looking at the beautiful ocean.

• Noise pollution – All these motorized vehicles are extremely noisy.  We come here to enjoy the fresh air, listen to the music of the waves, birds and nature, not motorized sports.

Alas, the Tourism Department, ironically, is destroying all that is important with these wrong headed policies.  Their plans, policies, and priorities are all in the wrong places.  These beaches do not need adventure sports.  Foreign tourists do not come here for adventure sports.  They come here to escape from them from their own beaches!  They come to Varkala Beach expecting clean air and warm water in the ocean here.  They seek peace, yoga, meditation and unspoiled natural beauty which is getting harder to find on planet earth.  

What are they thinking in tourism department!  Who is devising these crazy plans!  Or everything is designed simply to generate more money for commercial interests from things like adventure sports.  That’s what it seems.  Boggles my mind!

Suggestions:

• Tourists Input for the Master Plan – They say, there is a master plan.  What is it?  It should be published in media and open to public comments.  It should be discussed with the most critical stakeholders, the tourists.  There should be an online facility for real tourists to offer their comments and opinion.
• Stairs – Fix the stairs.  That can be easily done, I believe.  Add a few steps at the bottom as needed.  Repair the broken steps.  Add a railing.  It should be able to be easily accomplished with poles and ropes.
• Garbage removal – Attach sand sifters and garbage lifters at the back of these ATVs and a few tractors.  Run them on the beach for a couple of hours every morning.  Put the collected garbage on trucks near Papanasam beach and haul it away.  It can be done!  It is done in USA and Europe all the time.  Furthermore, it is not even terribly expensive to do, or require too much man power.  All it needs is someone in the right place and authority to make a decision and implement.  How hard can it be, if there is will!

Finally, there should be a timeframe for its implementation.  I am 70 years old and wish to keep coming here, if it doesn’t deteriorate any further, and some improvements are made.  At least safe stairs to navigate from the cliff to the beach,  back and forth.