Karaikal beach to get an upgrade

Karaikal Beach is all set to get a facelift at a cost of Rs 22 crore and develop as a tourist spot. The project under a central government scheme backed by the Union Ministry of Tourism is expected to take off in early 2024. A tourism department official said, "A detailed project report with individual cost estimation for each work is being prepared for the facilities to be included in the project according to media reports

The master plan for the project includes a riverside walkway stretching for around a kilometre at Beach Road along the Arasalar estuary and a tourist information centre. Other facilities include an arrival plaza, shopping plaza, food zone, open-air theatre, children's play area and an event-cum-multipurpose zone, located next to each other, near the beach. Public toilets, sewage treatment plant, changing rooms, beach shacks and a watchtower are other facilities.

The beach will also be ramped towards the coastline. Once clearance, such as Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, is received, work will most likely start in two to four months. The tenders would be called soon