Tourists cleaning up Kovalam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It could be humbling to visit Kovalam these days. Along the sun-kissed shore, it is common to find foreigners, mostly aged couples, doing what a local would never think of doing: going around in their beachwear collecting plastic waste. “Those who come from the city, and even those who live nearby, simply gape like fools as these foreigners pick plastic bottles strewn around,” said Soman, a beach-bed provider. Accumulation of plastic in Kovalam is proving to be a major turn off for foreign tourists. “They frequently complain about the plastic waste,” said G R Sudhiesh Kumar of Kerala Hotel and Restaurants’ Association.

“However, it is the sight of burning plastic that seems to agitate them more,” he said. According to Sudhiesh this phenomenon of foreign tourists forming spontaneous groups to pick up plastic waste was nothing new. “Foreigners have a civic sense that is alien to us. We need to learn from them,” Mr Sudhies said. Increasing plastic waste is seen as one of the main reasons why Kovalam is losing its status as a marquee tourism destination. If at all proof was required, one only has to look at the rotten stray dog carcasses scattered all around the beach; the entrails are mixed with chewed plastic. “The destination calls itself responsible but allows travelers to dump plastic waste with impunity. No serious attempts have been made to dissuade travelers from dumping plastic waste,” said Mathai John who runs ‘Sea Delights’ restaurant in Kovalam.

Kovalam had in fact tried to get rid of plastic waste earlier. A biogas project in association with Suchithwa Mission had employed rag pickers to collect plastic waste and deposit it at the biogas plant. The project fell through after the Mission failed to pay the suppliers. “Unlike a controlled destination like Kumarakom, an open destination like Kovalam can make some headway with doing away with plastic only if the travelers and the locals are first properly educated,” a top Tourism Department official said. Distributing water in tetrapacks is one proposal that is seriously explored by the Tourism Department. Like in Kumarakom, there are also plans to start a plastic shredder unit in Kovalam. “For all this we need the support of the Corporation. Interested NGOs will also be roped in for the programme,” the official said.