Frame SOP to ensure safety of tourist visiting Malpe Beach, officials told

K. Raghupati Bhat seeks the establishment of a development committee for the adjacent Padukare Beach

Deputy Commissioner M. Kurma Rao on Wednesday directed the Malpe Beach Development Committee to frame a standard operating protocol (SOP) to ensue overall safety of visitors to the Malpe Beach. The safety of visitors should be paramount for the beach management, he said.

Chairing a committee meeting in Udupi, Mr. Rao said thousands of tourists from different parts of the State as well from the district visit Malpe Beach every day. The SOP for their safety should be framed to international standards after studying safety measures in different parts of the world. Those managing the beach and lifeguards should work as per the SOP, he said.

The Deputy Commissioner said training workshops for beach management personnel on safety aspects and tourist-friendly manners should be conducted at regular intervals. More safety gadgets, vehicles, and others, if needed, should be procured after informing the committee. The operators should ensure safety of visitors to St. Mary’s Island too and that everyone wears life jackets. Licence of boats that ferry tourists without life jackets would be cancelled, he said and added that the Coastal Security Police should keep an eye on this.

Mr. Rao directed food safety department, City Municipal Council, and the police to conduct joint inspections of petty shops at the Beach to ensure they sell unadulterated items. He further said the Beach Festival to mark the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the district formation would be held at Malpe and Padukare beaches from January 21 to 23.

Member of Legislative Assembly K. Raghupathi Bhat suggested formation of a development committee for the neighbouring Padukare Beach too on the lines of the one for Malpe Beach. There were plenty of opportunities to develop the beach to the north of Malpe, he said asking for preparation of a master plan.

CMC President Sumithra Nayak, Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Fish Marketing Federation President Yashpal Suvarna, ZP CEO Prasanna, Municipal Commissioner Uday Kumar Shetty and others were present.