APTDC to charge Rs 20 for people visiting Rushikonda beach from July 11

Visakhapatnam: Next time you visit Rushikonda Beach in Visakhapatnam, shell out Rs 20 as an entry fee.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) has announced the entry fee for beach visitors and free entry for children below 10 years from July 11.

Rushikonda Beach is the only blue flag-certified beach in Andhra Pradesh. According to the APTDC, the entry fee is aimed to maintain cleanliness and ensure the safety of the visitors.

APTDC has been paying Rs six lakh a month as wages to cleaners, security guards, and lifeguards at Rushikonda Beach. APTDC floated tenders for creating more facilities for visitors.

Similar rules are applicable in blue-flag certified beaches at Kovalam in Tamil Nadu, Golden Beach in Puri of Odisha, Kappad Beach in Kerala, and Kasarkod Beach in Karnataka. Authorities have fixed an entry fee between Rs 20 and Rs 50 on the recommendation of Society of Integrated Coastal Management.

According to the tourism officials, the inflow of tourists at Rushikonda Beach has been increasing and the expenditure for the management has also doubled.

On average, Rushikonda Beach attracts over 10,000 visitors on weekends. The lifeguards have been doing a great job to ensure the safety of beachgoers.

Plastic pollution

Despite being blue flag-certified, Rushikonda Beach lacks proper maintenance. The waters are always seen filled with plastic waste. Food items are dumped into the blue water. Platypus Escapes, a scuba diving school has been putting all efforts to clean the beach. The team also recently conducted beach cleaning campaign on World Ocean Day.

Activists have been appealing to the citizens to avoid using plastic at tourist places and help in the cleanliness of the beaches.