With the onset of picnic season, a family of five from Nellore was looking for tourist spots for a weekend trip. While 19-year-old Madan suggested the names of famous temples, beaches and waterfalls around the city, his father Gopalakrishna rejected all the places and decided to go Puducherry.
Gopalakrishna, like many residents of Nellore, chose not to visit the tourist attractions around the city primarily because of a lack of basic amenities there. Trash, lack of relevant information boards, unregulated fares, tortuous procedures and a dearth of basic amenities and hotels and homestays make visits to these localities tedious and tiring.
The combined Nellore district is known for Somasila Dam, Kandaleru Dam, Penchalakona Falls, Siva Kona Falls, Ubbalamadugu Falls, Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary and several beaches, all uncut tourism gems. But trash piles and empty liquor bottles scattered around rob the locations of their appeal for family trips.
A lack of regulations and standardisation of fee and fare is another major problem as Bala Murugan, a visitor from Chennai, found out. “Recently, we went to explore Venadu and Irukkam islands near Tada. A local fisherman charged us ₹5,000 for a boat ride to the island.
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