Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran to look into surfing ban

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has assured that it will look into the issues of the surfing rental community in Kovalam. Minister for Ports Kadannappally Ramachandran told DC that the issue had not come to his notice, but he would be willing to hold discussions with the affected community. “I am now in Kannur. The concerned people can contact me when I am back in Thiruvananthapuram,” he said.

DC on Thursday had published a report on how surfing had come to a complete standstill, as the port had stopped issuing permits to rent out surfboards. For two years now, stacks of bodyboards and surfboards have been lying unused at the home of James R P, one of the affected persons. The 70-year-old told DC that there were close to 20 families who had been affected. The issue has also been affecting tourism in the area, with many surfers now preferring Varkala to Kovalam.

Port purser Anitha Nair had told DC that they stopped issuing a licence to surfboard rentals following the Port Officer’s instructions. He had cited lack of security measures. She added d that the port was unable to employ lifeguards. Principal Secretary of Ports James Varghese also said that he was not aware of the issue. When the security reason was pointed out, he said, “Security cannot be compromised. Getting people recruited for that is not an easy job. You have to create posts and take permissions from the Finance Department. There may be so many complexities.”