The nature lovers and environmentalists here alleged that the Chandipur beach is damaged due to illegal plying of vehicles. Besides, the tourists are harassed by local miscreants due to apathetic attitude of the Tourism Department as well as district administration, they said.
They told the beach is one of its kind as sea tide here recedes twice a day up to 5 km and its flat surface is a prime attraction of tourists. Except during the rainy season, tourists visit the beach mainly from Bengal. Besides, the beach site is a favourite destination for the picnickers.
They alleged that the tourists who come with their families face a lot of difficulties while parking their two and four wheelers. The parking space is illegally occupied by the private parties who are charging parking fees as per their whim and harassing the tourists for not paying their charges.
Although two police stations, Chandipur PS and Marine PS, are in place but they do little to protect the beach and the tourists.
What is more worrying is that some local people are taking the tourists to the beach in their tractors and jeeps, although plying of any kind of vehicles is banned in the beach area, alleged Vivekananda Das , a nature lover of the Chandipur area.
“ The beach is damaged due to plying of vehicles. Further it has become a den of anti-socials as they are consuming liquor in the open. The beach site has become a haven for the hooligans. After sunset the beach becomes unsafe. The women, even the locals, are not feeling safe to visit the beach," lamented Das.
