Rushikonda Beach offers a dismal sight as politics on collection of entry fees hinders upkeep

Rushikonda 'Blue Flag' Beach faces neglect due to political vendetta, impacting maintenance and visitor experience.

Weathered play equipment and shabby-looking washrooms greet the holiday crowd and tourists arriving at the famed Rushikonda ‘Blue Flag’ Beach. The reason behind this sad state of affairs is apparent — political vendetta on collection of entry fees has affected the maintenance and upkeep of the facility.

The facilities on the beach, mandatory as per guidelines, were developed with Central government funds to the tune of ₹7.4 crore. The beach was planned to operate on a ‘self-sustaining’ model through collections via the entry ticket. It draws 18 lakh monthly visitors on average during the peak season, and an entry fee of ₹10 per person would fetch ₹1.8 crore as revenue per month. However, the decision to collect the entry fee at Rushikonda was withdrawn following objections raised by the Opposition.

International tourists keen on visiting beaches, browse the internet to locate the Blue Flag beaches and make them a part of their itinerary. Rushikonda is one of the 12 beaches across the country, selected by the Government of India, for development as a ‘Blue Flag’ beach. The International Committee of Blue Flag awarded Rushikonda the certificate in 2020 after ensuring that the guidelines were met, but the certification has to be renewed every year.

“The international jury normally visits in May or June every year for renewal or cancellation of the certification, based on the upkeep of the facility. We planned to take repairs and renovation of the facilities in April but before the tenders could be called, the election code came into force, thus halting our plans,” Srinivas Pani, Executive Director, A.P. Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) told The Hindu on Tuesday. “Once the election code is lifted, we have plans for the replacement of the damaged structures,” he added.

Meanwhile, on May 27 (Monday), the speed boat could not be operated at the beach due to the high tide given the formation of Cyclone Remal in the Bay of Bengal. As it is one of the prime attractions, tourists were seen approaching the boating counter and returning disappointed on being told that the boat ride has been cancelled.

A small portion of the waterfront at the beach was cordoned off with a rope and tourists were allowed dip into the water. Some of the youngsters were seen ignoring the warnings given on the public address system from the wooden watch tower, and crossing the rope. Some children were encouraged by the accompanying adults to indulge in such risky behaviour.