Padukere beach on the anvil to be a major tourist destination

Padukere beach on the anvil to be a major tourist destination

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 20, 2017: Plans to develop the yet untapped Padukere beach near Malpe here as a major tourist destination in the district is rapidly gathering momentum.

In the past reaching Padukere itself was difficult even a couple of months ago it was so. It is located on a peninsular land and one had to travel for about 14 km by road or take a boat.  With the opening of the Rs. 16.91-crore Malpe-Padukere Bridge in March, Padukere is now just 5.5 km from Udupi town.

Though the nearby Malpe beach attracts huge crowds during the season, the Tourism Department intends to develop Padukere beach with greenery around as a major tourist spot.

The district administration has brought the development of Padukere beach within the ambit of the Malpe Development Committee, which so far focussed only on the development of Malpe beach and St. Mary’s Island.

Already, the committee has allocated Rs. 52 lakh for the construction of a concrete road at Padukere, while Rs. 27 lakh has been provided for laying of interlock tiles and other amenities such as installation of benches and dustbins on the beach.

“The laying of interlock tiles and other amenities will start in September and will be completed by the end of the year,” Anitha B.R., Assistant Director of Tourism has stated.

“Padukere can be developed as a beach where people come to spend their time in a quiet and leisure manner,” Sudesh Shetty, Developer In-charge of Malpe beach and St. Mary’s Island, said. Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has got proposals seeking to provide boat service to the nearby Darya Bahadurgarh Island (also called Bhadargad Island), where a fort is located. “We will have to get clearance from other authorities for this and also do a feasibility study on whether this can be provided,” ADC Anitha said.

A proposal for the construction of a floating boat restaurant in the backwaters of Udyavara rivulet at Padukere at a cost of Rs. 4 crore was submitted to the State government by Nirmiti Kendra a couple of months ago. If this proposal gets the nod, it would be an added attraction.

One resident of Padukere village, said that if Padukere beach is developed, it will improve the employment prospects of the local youth. “Youth will be able to set up small stalls etc...at the beach,” he said.