Varkala Papanasam Beach Struggles With Plastic Pollution Before Vavu Bali
With the sacred annual ritual of Vavu Bali approaching on July 24, Papanasam Beach in Varkala is witnessing growing alarm over unchecked pollution caused by plastic pellets and sewage outflow. The beach, which draws thousands of devotees for the ancestral offering ritual, is currently covered with plastic nurdles from a past shipwreck and remains waterlogged due to untreated sewage from nearby establishments.
The pollution crisis stems from two persistent sources: the nurdles—tiny plastic pellets washed ashore from the MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck—and the illegal discharge of raw sewage directly into the sea by resorts and restaurants perched atop the Varkala cliff. Despite repeated public complaints, civic and religious authorities remain at odds over who is responsible for maintaining the beach ahead of such a spiritually significant event. A temple official from Janardhana Swamy Temple, which oversees the ritual proceedings, described the current condition as “deeply worrying.” “The stench, along with layers of plastic pellets, is making it unpleasant for early visitors arriving to perform religious offerings. If this continues, the sanctity of Vavu Bali will be seriously compromised,” he said.
Residents and stakeholders have slammed the lack of coordinated response from the Dewaswom Board, Varkala municipality, and the district administration. “The same issue recurs every year. Raw sewage from hotels and eateries continues to be discharged into the sea with impunity. There was no serious cleanup last year either. The departments keep passing the buck,” said K Anil Kumar, the hospital ward councillor. Local officials maintain that some efforts are underway. “Daily cleanups are being conducted by volunteers and fire department teams to remove the plastic nurdles from the shoreline. We will ramp up operations as the ritual date nears,” said Papanasam ward councillor P Ajayakumar. However, local environmental activists say these efforts are insufficient and unstructured, demanding a more robust and scientific waste management intervention. The presence of nurdles, a known environmental hazard, has raised red flags. These microplastics, often mistaken for fish eggs, are ingested by marine life, leading to toxic contamination across the food chain.
What complicates matters is the lack of inter-agency coordination and clear jurisdictional responsibility. With Varkala being one of Kerala’s top spiritual tourism destinations, the failure to maintain beach hygiene reflects poorly on governance and civic planning. Environmental advocates are now urging the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and the Department of Tourism to intervene directly. “Religious tourism and sustainability must go hand-in-hand. A spiritual site like Papanasam Beach deserves consistent eco-sensitive management, not last-minute cosmetic cleanups,” said one local campaigner.
