Alappuzha beach plunges into darkness amid holiday rush

Alappuzha:The famed Alappuzha beach, the town’s premier tourist hotspot, and its surrounding areas have been without proper lighting for several days.With the onset of the Puja holidays, thousands of visitors are arriving at the beach. However,the streetlights and high-mast lights are not working. Families visiting the beach in the evenings are finding it difficult to spend time there due to the lack of lighting. Visitors currently depend on lights from nearby shops and kiosks.

The stretch from Vijay Park to the southern side of the historic pier remains without lighting. Construction work is also underway at the beach as part of the ‘Alappuzha: A Global Water Wonderland’ project, leaving heavy construction materials dumped across various parts of the beach. In the pitch black, these scattered piles have become serious tripping hazards, creating a high risk of injury for unsuspecting visitors.

To compound the problem, ongoing road-resurfacing work right in front of the beach has turned commuting into an ordeal. The combination of roadwork, construction materials and poor lighting has raised concerns about visitor safety. With tourist arrivals expected to surge over the long weekend, local residents are demanding that the authorities urgently install at least temporary lighting to ensure public safety.

“The streetlights are non-functional because the power supply cables running to the beach had to be disconnected due to bypass construction work. As an interim measure, we have installed a temporary light near the police aid post.” — Molly Jacob, Municipal Chairperson