Locals decry government’s apathy in turning Pulicat into tourist destination

Residents here claimed that although several tourists visit Pulicat for its natural bounties and heritage centres, the absence of good hotel facilities and other tourist infrastructure has been a major deterrent to the development of the area’s economy, which is still solely dependent on fishing.

The Pulicat lake which covers more than 15,000 acres is considered to be the second largest brackish water lagoon in India after Lake Chilika in Odisha. This lake and surrounding water bodies draw several migratory birds post monsoon -- between November and March -- attracting a large number of tourists.

The town’s rich heritage also remains largely untapped. Locals claim that Pulicat, also known as Pazhaverkadu, has been a trading centre even during the Chera, Chola and Pandya period when trade in gold, pearls and other precious metals, were conducted here.

By early 1500s, the Portuguese established a trading post in Pulicat and used it for a century until the Dutch defeated them. According to historians, the Dutch who occupied the lake for trade built several buildings that even remain today, including a Dutch cemetery built in 1622 and a centuries-old lighthouse.

“The Pulicat lake, Dutch cemetery and other heritage buildings, and the migratory birds that flock here remain as tourist attractions, but no effort has been made to popularise it,” said social activist and local residentNithyanandam.

He pointed out that the Tamil Nadu government, which announced that the lake would be developed as the tourist spot, had not taken any effort in the direction.

“The State government through tourism department planned to set up a tourist accommodation centre and a tourist information centre for which 358 acres of land was identified in Andarmadam in Kadpakkam panchayat and handed over to the Tourism Department. A total of Rs 2.60 crore was also allotted for the project of which a major chunk was also released,” said Nithyanandam. “But till now, no work has been done to promote tourism in the area.”

Locals claimed that the tourism initiative faced another major setback after a boat mishap in December 2011 that claimed several lives and boating was banned by the State government after that.

“Now, Pulicat and its surrounding areas are only known for smuggling of contraband goods. The mafia has also increased the crime rate in this region,” Senthil Kumar, a local fisherman said.

For the thousands of residents of the 75-odd villages in the Pulicat area, the dream of their heritage town turning into a prime tourism spot like Mamallapuram remains only a dream and on government papers that seem to have lost their way.

Speaking to the DT Next, A Mahendran, president of South Indian Fisherman Federation, said that the fishing community was very pleased when the tourism department announced an accommodation centre and information centre for tourists. “But the project has not taken off and our lives remain the same even after a decade,” he said. “If the tourism project picks up, our children will have a better future and our past will be known to the rest of the world.”

The villagers claimed that the Tourism Department will have to implement the government order which was passed in 2009-10 and if the government take adequate measures, Pulicat will transform like Mamallapuram or Mudaliarkuppam.

When asked about the demands raised by the villagers, Additional District Revenue Officer, Tiruvallur district, Rajagopalan said that while such a proposal might have been there in the past, the present administration does not have any government orders to construct a tourist accommodation and information centre.

“If we get the nod from State government and required funds, we will definitely be able to take action regarding the same,” Rajagopalan said. He also admitted that increased tourist inflow would naturally transform the lives of the villagers and bring economic prosperity.