Bhubaneswar, June 1: The state government is planning to take up a major beach-cleaning operation in various parts of the state, including Puri.

The temple town is going to host the annual rath yatra in July.

Tourism and culture minister Maheswar Mohanty said a budget of Rs 1 crore had been prepared for the beach clean up in the temple town.

The tender process was over and the work was slated to begin shortly, said an official.

“We are taking steps to make the Puri beach spic-and-span. We will use specialised machines for the purpose, apart from installing dustbins at various places,” said the minister.

“Awareness programmes will also be organised for tourists from within and outside Odisha, so that they do not litter the place, especially with plastic and non-biodegradable items,” said Mohanty.

A portion of the budget will be reserved for the training and costumes of lifeguards.

On a daily average, over 50,000 people visit the beach in the pilgrim town. With rath yatra less than a month-and-a-half away, the number of visitors to the golden beach is expected to go up to four lakh everyday.

The government will take steps to clean beaches in Ganjam, Balasore and Kendrapara districts.