Padubidri End Point Beach thrown open to visitors

Padubidri End Point Beach thrown open to visitors

Mangalore Today News Network

Padubidri, Dec 18, 2020:    The Padubidri End Point Beach in Udupi district, which has bagged the coveted eco-label ‘Blue Flag’ from the international agency Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark, was thrown open for visitors on Thursday.

 

It is among eight beaches in the country, including Kasarakod near Honnavar in Uttara Kannada, which have got the Blue Flag certification.

According to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an eco-tourism model to provide tourists clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.

The certification is awarded by the Denmark-based agency based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads that is environmental education and information, bathing water quality, environment management and conservation and safety and services in the beaches.

The beach has a grey water treatment plant, solid waste management plant, disabled-friendly equipment to enable them to enter seawater, seating arrangements, clean drinking water, washroom, changing room, bathing facility, disabled-friendly and general toilets, parking facilities, solar power plant, solar lighting, and the like. The 500-m stretch of the Padubidri beach has been developed at an estimated cost of ₹ 10.68 crore over the past two years. The beach has a 200-m-long safe swimming zone.

A tourism department official said that a visitor will have to pay entry fee, parking fee and separate fee fixed for using some facilities created on the beach.

The entry fee will be ₹ 30 per adult and for children aged above five years, it will be ₹ 20 per head. The parking fee for public transport vehicles like buses and vans will be ₹ 50 for two hours and for cars, autorickshaws and electric vehicles, it will be ₹ 20 up to two hours.

There will be fees for playing volleyball and using recliners. The changing room fee per use will be ₹ 20 per person. There is no fee for using drinking water, swimming and using toilet facilities. There is a provision for daily pass. The fees payable for using the facilities at the beach are yet to be introduced, the official said.

Courtesy:The Hindu