Post News Network
Baliapal, August 11: This coastal block in Balasore district is bestowed with bounties of nature, but the state government has not yet harnessed their tourism potentials.
A case in point is the picture-postcard Choumukhi sea beach sprawling from Hanskara river mouth in the west to Subarnarekha river mouth (Pipili mouth) in the east. Though the beach has immense tourism potential, the government has not tuned its focus as yet to develop it as a tourist spot.
Locals, who have long been pressing for its development, say Pipili port which lies to the east of the beach carries remnants of ancient civilization’s maritime activities. Besides, a huge sand dune lies to the west of this beach near Hanskara river mouth. It resembles a mountain, if looked from a distance. Moreover, the sea and river have formed a confluence here, adding charm to the dandy beach. Not only that, a place of mythological significance called Chandamani ghat is situated close to the river mouth. The beach is just 15 km away from the block headquarters. Baruni Yatra is observed at Choumuki ghat. Despite the beach having hallmarks of a good tourist destination, the government has allegedly overlooked it. The river mouth here has become shallow due to continuous siltation which needs to be dredged, they say.
The government had proposed earlier to set up a big port in the area. Locals hope that the place will gain importance if that project is ever executed. They say that if the government declares Choumukhi as a tourist spot and takes up its infrastructure development, it is expected to draw tourists from the state as well as from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.