Maharashtra has a total of 78 beaches spread across a 720-km coastline in Mumbai city and the suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg and officials from the MMB said coastal villages with access to beaches with tourism potential would be covered in the drive.
The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) will soon begin the 'Nirmal Sagar Tat Abhiyan', an initiative for better beach management, organised tourism on the state's coastline and for community-based development of these sites. The drive will also emphasise on eradicating the chaos and lack of cleanliness at beaches and focus on better tourism and water sports facilities being established to make them visitor friendly.
Modeled on the lines of the Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), the drive will involve local villagers and stakeholders in villages adjoining beaches in conserving, managing and protecting them by providing tourism-driven employment. It will also encourage development of green energy.
Maharashtra has a total of 78 beaches spread across a 720-km coastline in Mumbai city and the suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg and officials from the MMB said coastal villages with access to beaches with tourism potential would be covered in the drive.
Atul Patne, CEO, MMB, said that the 'Nirmal Sagar Tat Abhiyan' would be launched at the end of a fortnight-long campaign to be held between September 17 (International Beach day) and October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti). "The Sagartat Vyavasthapan Samitis (Coastline management committees) in villages will use tourism for development... the benefits of tourism-led development will flow to locals," he added, stating that these stakeholders would decide on the management of beaches and tourism facilities to be developed there.
For instance, these committees can also decide on allowing facilities like house boats, water sports and scuba diving at these sites, which will also create employment for them.
Jitendra Raisinghani, Deputy Director, co-ordination, Asian Development Bank project, says that the campaign would encompass various schemes like the Swach Bharat Mission and skill development. MMB will rope in institutions to train villagers in soft skills and specialised activities like water sports and surfing. Locals will also be trained for providing security and surveillance and as lifeguards.
"Their livelihood will be taken care of and at the same time, the beaches will be clean. It will be more tourist-friendly," said Raisinghani, adding that the coastal tourism potential of Maharashtra was yet to be tapped. The beach management committees will look into beach management and decide about activities and water sports to be permitted there and fees to be charged. This will be done with the concurrence of the local authorities.
Raisinghani says that the tourism facilities on beaches like horse and camel rides would be more organised with amenities like changing rooms and toilets being established. An annual competition will see the cleanest beaches being awarded cash prizes.
The MMB is working on fund requirements for each village and will pitch in with funds from its own kitty, multi-lateral agencies and Central government schemes.
This will be funded on lines of projects like Nirmal Gram and Jal Swarajya and stakeholders committees will be established at village, district and state-level which will also include government representatives like the district collector.
The MMB is also implementing the larger Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Program (SCPMIP) to be completed by December 2019. This project aims at controlling erosion at vulnerable spots like beaches and sea-shores due to tidal waves and currents. The 12 sites selected by the MMB under the SCPMIP for feasibility studies include Marine Drive, Aksa and Juhu beaches and Mahim bay in Mumbai. The MMB plans to develop PPP ideas at each site including those for watersports, green energy and waste recycling.
Total number of beaches: 78
Mumbai: 10
Thane and Palghar: 6
Raigad: 15
Ratnagiri: 26
Sindhudurg: 21
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "coastline")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}