Kalam wave rings in change at Rameswaram

When Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam moves into Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi this week, there may be a spin-off hundreds of miles away. In his home...

When Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam moves into Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi this week, there may be a spin-off hundreds of miles away. In his hometown Rameswaram, the temple island in Ramanathapuram.

The district administration has been trying to give the town a facelift for long and District Collector S. Vijayakumar says this may just be the trigger they needed. ‘‘Most of the development programmes were initiated before Kalam’s name began to create waves in the political field,’’ he says. ‘‘I had envisaged several schemes aiming at promoting entrepreneurs and boosting the district’s economy by tapping its tourism potential. But nobody was willing to come forward till now.’’

While Rameswaram has been a renowned pilgrim centre, the island, like other parts of the district, is backward and has been neglected over the years.

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Now, things are looking up. The Tamil Nadu government’s move to ban plastics came in handy and the administration, armed with stickers and posters, has begun a cleaning campaign. Garbage bins, in green and red colours, are being put up in every town and village for segregating and disposing of bio-degradable and non-degradable plastic.

Meanwhile, potential tourist spots have been identified. The island, which is linked to the mainland by Pamban rail and Indira Gandhi bridges, is famous for the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple. According to Ramayana, it was from here that Ram built the stone-bridge to Lanka in his quest for Sita.

Others are the Kushi beach, lying halfway between Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram and the Indira Gandhi bridge (also called Pamban Road Bridge). ‘‘Kushi beach will soon be a paradise for tourists, offering a variety of water sports like skiing, wind surfing and boating and thatched cottages. We have leased out the beach to an entrepreneur for a three-year period,’’ says Vijayakumar.

But this is not all. A beach park is being readied at Rameswaram with an investment of Rs 20 lakh. It will comprise the area from Agnitheertham to Olaikuda village and have an aquarium, three rock arches, a lawn and a play area. Work on the park is going on in full swing. Once ready, it will be entrusted to the town panchayat. A guest house is also being built at Agnitheertham to cater to both pilgrims and tourists.

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Rameswaram’s green cover will also be expanded. The Collector plans to plant saplings along the entire 12-km stretch from Mandapam to Rameswaram after widening the National Highway. The saplings will mainly be flowering plants which can adapt to the coastal climate. A proposal has been sent to the state government.

The proposed changes are expected to bring much-needed relief to locals. The development work will not only create employment opportunities but may also lead to better civic amenities like underground drainage and proper drinking water supply.

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