The carcass of a turtle that washed ashore, and plastic waste on the sands of Kovalam beach.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The once-scenic Kovalam beach in Chengalpattu district is hardly a place where family can spend quality time. The sands are littered with filth, plastic, dried fish, weed as well as plants and waste washed ashore during the recent rain. This is in stark contrast to the nearby beach that has got the international Blue Flag certification for the fifth year.
Swami, a visitor to the beach, said that while entering the side marked as ‘Kovalam Weekend View Point’, large stretches of sand were riddled with plastic waste and glass bottles.
“Garbage like plastic bags were seen even in the waves, making it uneasy to step close to the water. Waste items bearing political party symbols were also noticed. We could not sit on the sand close to the sea as garbage was strewn all over,” he said.
According to locals, the waste surfaced earlier in December following heavy rain, but has not been cleared by the conservancy staff of the local panchayat.
A lifeguard working at a private hotel nearby, said the portions near the hotel and the Blue Flag certified stretch were cleaned regularly, while the other side was constantly neglected.
A resident of Kovalam said that when several parts of the village itself were not cleared of waste on a daily basis, one could not expect the beach to be cleaned by sanitary workers.
When the issue was raised with the district administration, Chengalpattu Collector D. Sneha said, “Solid waste management works are regularly attended to by the local body. The issue pointed out will be looked into.”
Published – January 01, 2026 04:54 am IST
