Seawater, a rising challenge to tourism potential at Mamallapuram

Just like the trouble caused by the sea at Foreshore Estate in Chennai, sea water frequently intrudes into the small restaurants, canteens and hamlets that dot the shore in this town much sought-after by history lovers. In fact, this unexpected and oft-happening activity, owing to the inclement weather condition in the sea, has left foreigners with no place to rest on the beach and its adjoining areas. 

Apart from the Pallava-era sculpture on rocks, it is the vast sandy area that attracts visitors from abroad. Sources said that since the Southwest Monsoon had set in, the weather in the sea was unpredictable. Further, some places on the coast along the East Coast Road (ECR) were also frequently hit by tidal waves. 

As a result, water intrudes into several hamlets. Locals said that Mamallapuram has been the worst-hit by sea erosion in the last 20 days on the entire stretch of ECR and water was intruding upto a distance of 20 feet from the original shore. 

“With trouble increasing by the day, the main tourist town—Mamallapuram, is facing the brunt of rough sea conditions. A large number of resorts and lodges mostly occupied by foreigners are frequently inundated. Further, the beautiful sand dunes have vanished owing to frequent intrusion of sea water,” complained a resident of the town. 

In some locations, the situation is even worse, as the sea water had not receded at all for around a week. If this trend continued, there was every possibility of the town losing its tourism potential and the residents would also shift to other places, cautioned a local resident. Upon receiving the information, Thirupporur MLA, Mallai M. Kothandapani inspected Mamallapuram and its neighbouring areas where they held enquiries with tourists and fishermen. The residents and tourists have demanded the government to construct groynes to save this history-rich town.