Tourism Department clarifies beach waste, boating permits

Uttara Kannada The Tourism Department has clarified issues concerning waste disposal at Gokarna Main Beach and the issuance of tourist boating permits in Honnavar, Kasarkod and Tadadi, stating that the processes were carried out according to prescribed procedures. Regarding garbage disposal at Gokarna Main Beach, the Deputy Director of Tourism said cleaning staff collect waste daily. Earlier, the lack of segregated waste bins and delays in collection by the Gram Panchayat vehicle, which arrived once every eight to ten days, created difficulties. Five large waste bins were provided about a month ago, and staff are now depositing segregated waste in them. The department said coordination with Gram Panchayat officials would be strengthened to improve disposal. Daily cleaning activities are also documented through GPS-tagged photographs. In Honnavar and Kasarkod, 155 applications for tourist boating permits were scrutinised, including 110 from Honnavar and 45 from Kasarkod. Based on document verification, committee recommendations and approval from the District Tourism Committee, authorised boats were granted permits for March 2026 to March 2027. The annual fee was fixed at ₹20,000 per boat. A computerised system has been introduced to manage boating operations, provide tourists with accurate information and improve transparency. A temporary counter has been established in an old Gram Panchayat building at Kasarkod. In Tadadi, 31 applications were received for tourist boating permissions and forwarded to the technical committee headed by the Kumta Tahsildar. A feasibility study by the Jetana organisation recommended a maximum of 20 boats. Accordingly, the Deputy Commissioner, who chairs the District Tourism Development Committee, approved permissions for 20 boats after considering document verification and committee recommendations. In the first phase, six applications with the required documents were recommended and approved for permits valid from December 17, 2025, to December 16, 2026, at an annual fee of ₹30,000 per boat. Applications received in subsequent phases were also examined under the prescribed procedures, and permissions were granted. The department maintained that the Tadadi permit process followed established rules and technical recommendations, with no irregularities. It reiterated that it does not support unauthorised boating and called for cooperation among government departments, local bodies and boat operators to improve tourism facilities and resolve public concerns. Highlights • Waste: Bins installed for segregated waste disposal. • Scrutiny: Applications verified for tourist boating permits. • Approvals: Authorized boats cleared for regional tourism. • Systems: Computerized operations introduced for enhanced transparency. • Tadadi: Feasibility studies limited approved boats. • Compliance: Department ensured rules without unauthorized operations.