Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government is developing five more beaches to secure Blue Flag certification as part of its efforts to boost beach tourism. Plans are being rolled out to meet international standards for Pati Sonapur and Haripur in Ganjam and Niladri, Muhan and Jahania in Puri .
By developing these five more beaches, including three in Puri district, the State is going to add an important chapter to the map of beach tourism to meet international standards.
The State Tourism Department has prepared a blueprint for the proposed redevelopment work at the five beaches of Pati Sonapur and Haripur in Ganjam district and Niladri, Muhan and Jahania in Puri district.
While the development work of the Niladri beach has almost reached the final stage, projects would begin soon at the other four identified beaches, an official source said.
The projects are being carried out in coordination with the Department of Forests and Environment. At the initial stage, there is a provision of around Rs 1.5 crore for each beach. As soon as the beaches are developed meeting the criteria, the Department of Tourism has said it would pay more if needed. As soon as the beach is completely developed, the Tourism Department would apply for the Blue Flag status.
The department claims that the beautification works of the beaches would be made with no adverse effects on the environment as focus is on developing an eco-friendly tourism infrastructure. There would be toilets, tourist seating, solar lighting system, watchtowers, etc., at the beaches, where, however, no permanent building would be constructed.
Comments are closed.