Surat: The Hazira-Suvali coast will host a beach festival organized by the government from December 20 to 22. The festival will feature Umbadiya and Dangi food items. Children can enjoy camel riding, horse riding, traditional games, and bike rides. On the first day, singer Kinjal Dave will perform. Ten stalls offering food items will be set up at the festival.

The three-day event will be inaugurated by Union Jal Shakti Minister and local Lok Sabha member C.R. Patil at 4:30 pm on Friday, December 20. According to MLA and Minister Mukesh Patel, the beach festival has been organized for the past two years. Choryasi MLA Sandip Desai stated that Suvali Beach will be transformed into a tourist destination within the next three years through Rs. 48 crore worth of development projects in the pipeline. These projects will be implemented in a phased manner. He also noted that last year, 1.60 lakh people visited the Suvali Beach Festival, and this year, the estimate is 3 lakh visitors.

Large parking areas and lighting facilities have been arranged for the convenience of visitors. Forty buses from GSRTC and the Municipal Corporation will transport people to the festival from various parts of Surat. The state government has allocated a Rs. 28 crore grant for roads, power, and other infrastructure to enhance tourist facilities at Suvali. Additionally, the Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA) has allocated Rs. 20 crore for the beach’s development. These projects will also be implemented in phases over the next three years.

A guest house will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 4.71 crore. The Surat District Collector has allocated 4,800 square meters of land for the guest house and toilet facilities at Suvali Beach. A Rs. 1 crore water filter plant is also planned at Khara to convert seawater into drinking water, with the Hazira Notified Area Authority providing a Rs. 1 crore grant. DeshGujarat