Visakhapatnam: Bheemunipatnam beach now a sorry shadow of its former self

Mounds of plastic waste, broken liquor bottles and garbage greet visitors

Bheemunipatnam beach, once counted among the few picturesque beaches along the eastern coast with its pristine golden sands and blue waters, has now turned into an eyesore for visitors.

The centuries-old Dutch village of Bheemunipatnam, which is also home to a quaint old church and a clock tower, was a must on any tourist’s itinerary. However, the condition of the beach has left tourists appalled, who express dismay over the lack of maintenance and poor sanitation.

The moment a visitor steps on to the beach, they are greeted with the sight of plastic waste, coconut shells, discarded clothes, thermocol sheets, and broken liquor bottles. A thick stench pervades the air, forcing the visitors to beat a hasty retreat.

“The beach was clean till some years ago, but it is very unhygienic these days. Apart from the trash on the shore, there are many stray dogs on the beach. We cannot even think of sitting on the sand for a while,” says N. Shalini, who came from Vizianagaram.

While tourists are also to blame for the condition of the beach, many argue that the lack of dustbins forces them to discard their waste on the beach. Several tourists routinely click pictures of the garbage dotting the beach and upload them on social media, but to no avail.

According to the local fishermen, the civic body pumps drainage water directly into the sea at several places, due to which heaps of garbage are washed back to the shore during high tide. The sanitation staff also do not clean the beach regularly and only clean the footpaths and roads, the fishermen say.

Several tourists urged the officials to improve the facilities at the beach. The tourists opined that installing seating facilities, food stalls and planting trees along the lines of what was done at RK Beach will help bring in more tourists.