Priority to welfare measures, continuation of ongoing schemes: Varkala municipal chief

Welfare measures and ensuring continuity for the projects and initiatives launched by the previous LDF council will take priority in the Varkala municipality, Geetha Hemachandran, who has taken charge as the new chairperson, said.

“There are many works remaining from the previous council’s term. Those will be given priority. The She Lodge next to the Railway Station is an example. The inauguration is over, but it is yet to start functioning. Another example is the newly inaugurated crematorium in the municipality which requires a generator for smooth functioning,” Ms. Hemachadran of the CPI(M), who succeeds K.M. Laji, also of the CPI(M) as the chairperson, said.

The CPI(M)-led LDF had retained its hold on the Varkala municipality, improving its performance from 12 seats in 2020 to 16 this time. The BJP-led NDA’s tally fell from 11 last time to 10 in 2025, while that of the Congress-led UDF dipped from 7 seats to 6. Independents had won two seats.

A tourism hotspot and home to the geologically unique cliff formations, Varkala has always presented complex challenges to the local administration.

With respect to her immediate to-do list, Ms. Hemachandran drew attention to the staff shortage faced by the municipality. Such issues need to be addressed to ensure that the municipality is functioning smoothly, Ms. Hemachandran said.

The municipality has an efficient waste management mechanism in place, but increased public participation could help finetune it, feels Ms. Hemachandran, who is on her third stint as a councillor in this coastal municipality. “Waste is being collected and segregated on a daily basis from the tourist spots in the municipality,” she said.

On another front, the damage to the Varkala cliffs and the need to protect them have consistently made headlines. Ms. Hemachandran says she hopes to make a “step-by-step improvement” in this regard. She also points out that private holdings constitute much of this region. On the drinking water supply front, the Varkala municipality hopes to benefit from the AMRUT scheme, she said.