Bangalore: Unlike the beaches of Goa, and to a certain extent Kerala, the beaches of Karnataka are beset with sanitation and hygiene issues, and the tourism industry in coastal Karnataka has been battling them for quite some time. Some of the beachside resort owners and tour operators have been pleading with local authorities to regulate the beaches to promote tourism, but progress has been slow. Now, they are urging the Government to organise a conclave in the coastal belt so that the Government gets to understand the problems of coastal tourism and formulates public-private partnerships to resolve them.

Acknowledging this, the new Commissioner for Tourism, G. Kumar Naik, has promised to chalk out a plan to promote the coastal belt.

The major problem on the beaches is that people use them as lavatories, which is quite a "put-off" for tourists who want to take a morning walk/jog on the beaches. "The traveller, both international and domestic, has become a lot more discerning, and such sights can adversely affect tourism," says Abraham Chacko, managing director of Turtle Bay Beach Resort at Maravanthe.

Lack of civic amenities, he adds, is the reason for the beaches being dirtied. "We have requested the local authorities to put up some public toilets on the beaches, but that does not seem to be the priority."

In Malpe, the Paradise Isle beach resort, which overlooks the sea, also faces the same problem.

A Tourism Department official states that a proposal to put up toilets on the beach is pending with the Government.

Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR), Devbagh, has installed public conveniences, but villagers continue to use the beaches. Sharat of JLR, Devbagh, says the mindset of the villagers has to change. "First, we have to have civic amenities in place, and then we need to persuade the villagers, which is a difficult exercise."

The Tourism Commissioner, who is keen on public-private partnerships to boost tourism in the State, is of the view that it has to be a concerted effort. "I will be talking to the deputy commissioners of these districts and seek their support on enlisting the assistance of local industries, if any," Mr. Naik said. The partnership could be on the lines of "Nirmala Bangalore," a scheme under which Infosys has put up toilets across Bangalore, he added.

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