Jan 22,2013 DH News Service
Tannirbhavi beach, one of the scenic beaches of Mangalore, is turning out to be a hot spot for tourists. With the joint efforts of the Dakshina Kannada Tourism department and Yojaka India Pvt Limited (YIPL), who have undertaken the beach development work, the beach is entering the must visit tourist list of Mangalore.
Though tourists visited the Tannirbhavi beach earlier, they feared muggers and miscreants who had made the beach their den to carry their shady activities.
In January 2012, Yojaka India Pvt Limited (YIPL) took up the project to develop the two-kilometre beach stretch under ‘build-operate-maintenance-transfer’ (BOMT) condition.
The beach is currently divided into two. The first beach is reachable via road and the second beach through a ferry from Tannirbhavi.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Yojaka India Pvt Limited Beach Development Project Coordinator K P Paniker said that more than 700 people visit the beach daily and the rush is heavy during weekends.
A spacious parking lot with a reasonable parking fee invites many to drive into the beach. Basic facilities such as toilets, benches, shops, security, first aid, loud speakers, adequate lighting and dustbins have already been made available at the beach.
In addition, water sports such as jet ski, speed boats and horse riding are adding to the glee of tourists.
Paniker added that no mishap has been reported in the beach premises after YIPL took over. “Our active lifeguards have saved 23 lives in the last one year,” he added.
Future plans
“We have plans to develop the beach on par with international standards,” said Yojaka (India) Pvt Ltd Managing Director Jagadish Boloor.
“Our main aim is to maintain a clean and safe beach, hence, we have paid a lot of attention to these two areas. In future, we are planning to build a swimming pool for children, an artificial lake for peddle boating, small huts to rest, a swimming zone in sea, star gazing activities, a yoga centre and hopefully a walking track,” he added.
“At present, we have spent around Rs 1.2 crore to develop the basic facilities at the beach and we plan to spend more than Rs 50 lakh for development during the year,” he said.
“We would like to have more water sporting activities. However, safety is a concern as there are two sunken ships within two km stretch. The rope way bridge connecting Sulthan Battery and Tannirbhavi is under construction which will add to the tourism potential,” he added.
Tourism Department Assistant Director U Jeethendranath said that the government has sanctioned Rs 76.80 lakh for the development of Tannirbhavi beach through the department.
