Astarang, one of the popular beaches of Odisha, offers tourists a blend of beach, nature and wildlife. This place has the potential to attract tourists from within and outside the state, but thanks to the Tourism Department, it has been suffering in silence.
Owing to the apathy of the state administration, the Astarang beach, which has been declared an ‘Eco-Tourism Site,’ today portrays a sorry state of affairs. With massive plastic garbage and debris scattered all around, this tourist site, including nearby mangrove plantations, is a nightmare for tourists, who dither to venture into the area.
Many tourists complain that little or no interest has been shown by the state government for the upkeep of the beach. Apathy of local vendors and shopkeepers in waste management and lack of tourist amenities are thwarting the tourism prospects of the site, which could otherwise draw the tourists who visit Konark, Puri and nearby spots.
“The site, which is gifted with natural beauty, is bombarded with piles of garbage and there are hardly any tourist-friendly amenities to meet the visitors’ needs. This shows Odisha Tourism department does not have the needed interest to maintain its upkeep. It has put their signage on the site. All this is of no use if you fail to deliver,” says Pooja Mishra, who visited the site with her family recently.
Others complained that infrastructure here is poorly maintained. “The site has good potential as it has a peer baba shrine nearby; besides a mini-forest area but the poor infrastructure scares the tourists. There is neither a place to sit, nor a water source to drink. We rely only on the vendors there,” said Jainath Behera, a teacher from Puri, who recently visited the site.
A visit to the area revealed that the water taps are defunct; there are no usable toilet complexes in the vicinity. “The toilets built for tourists are often locked and can’t be used,” said Chandra Mohanty, a resident of Bhubaneswar, who was in Astarang recently.
Meanwhile, officials of Odisha Tourism department said IAS officials posted to the department serve for a short duration and as no bureaucrat serves for a reasonably long term here there is always confusion among the policy makers.
“Most of the Tourism directors are appointed on a short-term basis. Within months they are transferred or they themselves seek transfers after some time. On occasions, there is no independent tourism secretary. Most of the deputed IAS officers have Tourism as an additional charge and this affects the entire department,” said an official with the state Tourism department.
Apparently, the government believes in tall talk, but little action. The state government’s Eco-Tourism Policy of the state government reads, “Eco-tourism will promote responsible travel to natural areas and provide opportunities for visitors to experience first-hand, understand and ‘quietly’ enjoy the state’s natural and cultural heritage. This will lead to conservation of nature, sustaining the ecological processes, increased respect for local culture and traditions and tangible improvement in the local economy.”
The ground reality, however, exposes the seriousness with which the Odisha Tourism Department functions and takes care of its resources. Currently, Vishal Dev, Odisha Tourism secretary, like many of his predecessors, is holding the Tourism portfolio as an additional charge.
