On September 27 last the World Tourism Day was observed across the globe to highlight tourism and culture, besides cementing ties between nations through a show of best hospitality and convenience to the foreign tourists. Tourism is now considered to be an important component to boost economy of any nation.
It is now taken up as an industry and investment in it provides high rate of return. The natural, historical and cultural institutions and monuments always attract people from far and wide. As a result, this helps not just in bringing any spot of tourist importance to focus but also promoting the local hotel and hospitality sector as well as other businesses. It is tourism which is now increasingly getting greater importance for economic growth and providing employment opportunities.
But exploitation of tourism resources ought not to be at the cost of accumulating filth and pollution in any area. Nature or natural objects should not be spoiled.
There is no doubt that a nation needs growth but it should be sustainable and must ensure quality of life and environment. As such, the growth that a nation seeks to attain through tourism can be made sustainable by ensuring well-being of the tourist centers.
Waste disposal is a problem in the tourist places. The hotels release their sewer into nearby water bodies regardless of the ecology of the region. When we are focusing on infrastructural development of the tourist spots like establishing tourism hotels, motels, lodging houses and roads etc, we have to also be very careful on scientific disposal of waste. Quality of service is also another important factor. The hospitality industry must ensure that the tourists get maximum pleasure of the trip and are provided with the best of service and safety available.
The pollution in the Puri sea beach has been a cause of concern for years. The hoteliers are least careful about the hygiene of the beach. They dump their garbage on the sea beach and release their waste water into the sea. As a result, they pollute the sea like anything. Though there are strict guidelines for them to follow in order to maintain the cleanliness of the beach and sea, they openly flout it. Similarly, the tourists and pilgrims are spoiling the natural environment of the shore. It is ironic that these tourists who throng Puri being attracted by the pristine beauty of its seashore don’t feel an iota of hesitation to besmirch it. The recent crackdown taken by the State Pollution Control Broad to shut down nearly a dozen of polluting hotels in Puri has certainly come as a breather.
The potential of any tourism centre has a limited self bearing and carrying capacity. The planners of tourism industry should understand it and take appropriate steps to contain pollution in the area. The tourism projects should not always be profit oriented. But there should be enough provision for maintaining the quality and sustainability of any place. Every unit of tourism centre should be taken as a project. For example, the heritage sites of Konark and Puri could be taken as unit of management.
At present, the seashores of Konark, Puri, Gopalpur and Chandipur are highly polluted. In fact, they are gradually turning out to be dumping yards for garbage and filth due to rush of visitors. The local people have a great role in managing the sites of tourist importance. The rookeries at the Rushikulya river mouth and the Gahrmatha coast in Bhitarakanika wild life sanctuary are most valuable. The Olive Ridleys that come there for breeding must get enough protection. Besides, the ecology of the places must be maintained so that the turtles do not feel anything adverse.
The Rushikulya river mouth is a victim of light pollution. The heavy beams of industrial lights confuse newborn turtles while they are on the route into the sea. Most often they get distracted and fall prey to various predatory animals and birds. However, it is heartening to note that because of several associations of local volunteers the area is fast turning out to be safe for the marine species. Besides, it has emerged as an eco tourism site of the State.
There are about 340 tourism spots in Odisha. Most of them are short of adequate infrastructural development. Similarly there are meanly 20 ecological biodiversity parks in Odisha where significant bio- aesthetic views are found to please the visitors. But several tourist spots are facing serious threat of pollution, shrinking of area and extinction of species due to increasing human interferences. For example the Balukhanda Konark sanctuary spread over 7,172 sq km is facing a threat to it ecology because of constant interference of man.
To boost the tourism potential of the State’s beach, the Government can think up laying a route from Gopalpur to Digha along the sea. The 500km marine root from Andhra border to West Bengal will be the most enjoyable bay drive.
Eram, where 29 Satyagrahis were shot dead by the police of British Government during 1942, is very much close to the Bay of Bengal. It is in Baleswar district. The State Government should select similar historic places along the shoreline and develop them so as to attract more and more tourists. Odisha has ample scope for tropical tourism. The State Government should rise to the occasion to tap tourism resources for generation of employment opportunities and strengthening socio-cultural ties with others.
Prime Minster Narendra Modi and US president Barrack Obama have signed a pact to work together to tackle climate change problems. If the two big powers of the globe like India and USA join hands for restoration of climatic orders of the universe, it will set a lesson for others.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)