Malpe: Malpe Beach in Udupi district is witnessing a massive influx of tourists as the weekend coincides with the upcoming Dasara holidays. Visitors from Karnataka and other parts of the country are arriving in large numbers to explore the district’s beaches and prominent temples.
Despite the intense heat, families from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Dharwad, Belagavi and other places have travelled to Malpe, creating heavy crowds along the coastline from the main beach area to the Seawalk.
Parking shortage, traffic congestion reported
The tourist inflow began increasing from Friday morning and intensified by afternoon. With a large number of tourist vehicles reaching the beach, finding parking space became a major challenge.
Vehicles were reportedly parked on both sides of roads leading to the beach, affecting the smooth movement of traffic. The situation became particularly difficult as the weekend crowds combined with regular local traffic.
The surge in vehicles also resulted in traffic jams on national highways and several roads connecting Malpe with other parts of Udupi.
The traffic pressure is expected to increase further as more visitors are likely to arrive during the Dasara holidays.
Tourists enjoy water sports and boat rides
Malpe Beach has remained a major attraction for visitors during the holiday period. Tourists are taking part in various water-based activities, including banana boat rides and speedboat rides.
The demand for boat services to St Mary’s Island has also increased considerably. The island, located off the Malpe coast, is among the popular tourist attractions in the region and generally witnesses increased visitor footfall during weekends and holiday periods.
The combination of favourable holiday schedules and the completion of school and college examinations has contributed to expectations of a further rise in tourist arrivals.
More visitors expected from October 11
The Dasara holidays in Karnataka are scheduled to begin from October 11. With schools and colleges completing their examinations ahead of the holidays, tourism stakeholders expect Malpe and other popular destinations in Udupi district to witness an even larger number of visitors.
The expected increase has raised concerns over parking, traffic management, road conditions, cleanliness and visitor safety.
Authorities may face the challenge of managing the additional tourist and local vehicle movement while ensuring that visitors can access the beach and other attractions without major disruptions.
Adiudupi-Malpe road faces heavy traffic
The road connecting Adiudupi to Malpe Beach has emerged as one of the major congestion points during the current tourist rush.
Vehicles were reportedly stranded in long queues from Friday evening until late at night. On Saturday, similar congestion was witnessed in the Kalmady area, where traffic movement remained slow.
The narrow Malpe road is already used extensively by ice and fish trucks associated with fishing activities. The movement of these heavy vehicles, combined with the large number of tourist vehicles, has made it difficult for motorists to move smoothly.
Ongoing road widening work near the Kalmady bridge has added to the traffic disruptions.
With the Dasara holidays approaching, the existing congestion could become more severe unless traffic management and parking arrangements are strengthened.
Calls for better cleanliness and safety
The increase in tourist arrivals has also highlighted concerns over the availability of parking facilities and maintenance of the beach.
The existing parking space is reportedly insufficient to accommodate the growing number of vehicles. Some motorists are using pedestrian walkways for parking, creating inconvenience and potential safety concerns for visitors.
There are also concerns over cleanliness around the beach. Visitors have reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over heaps of garbage in parts of the tourist area.
Panduranga Malpe, president of the Malpe Beach Development Committee, said greater priority should be given to cleanliness and safety as tourist numbers continue to rise.
He called for strict measures to prevent visitors from littering and stressed the need for better arrangements to manage the growing tourist footfall.
Dasara tourism likely to put facilities to test
Malpe is expected to remain one of the busiest tourist destinations in Udupi district during the upcoming Dasara holidays. The anticipated increase in visitors could provide a boost to local businesses, water sports operators, boat services and other tourism-related activities.
At the same time, the current weekend rush has exposed infrastructure challenges, particularly regarding parking and traffic management.
Better regulation of roadside parking, additional temporary parking arrangements, traffic management on the Adiudupi-Malpe route and improved waste management could help address some of the immediate concerns.
With thousands of visitors expected to travel to Malpe during the holidays, ensuring a clean, safe and accessible beach will be crucial to maintaining the destination’s appeal.