The Problems of Coastal Tourism, Environment and Local Sustainable Development Along Sindhudurg District, Coastal Maharashtra India

India has a long coastline of about 7,500 kilometers, with an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 2.02 million square kilometers. The state of Maharashtra is located on the western side of the Indian Peninsula. The state has 720 kilometers coastline. Towards the southern end of Maharashtra coastline lies the Sindhudurg coastal district. Situated between latitudes 150 37' and 16040' north and longitudes 73019' and 74018' east, Sindhudurg district has a coastline of 121 kilometers. Apart from the beautiful pocket sandy beaches, island & inland ports, the coast is also known for built heritage, local culture and Malvani cuisine. The area has rich coastal and marine biodiversity. Ecosystem services are extremely important for the sustenance of livelihood of local people. However, coastal tourism has picked up in a most unplanned manner in last two decades in three coastal districts Deogad, Malvan, Vengurla of Sindhudurg district. The paper starts with the key statements by some of the reputed organizations and committees observations and suggestions on coastal tourism. The past experiences and directions along the Sindhudurgcoast has been assessed. Some gaps & problems perceived by authers in the study area are enlisted. Being geographers, the authors' experience is largely conditioned by the geomorphic backdrop and spatio-temporal change in both physical & socio-cultural environment of the study area. Problems as seen by the authors may have solutions from other parts of the world. Some site specific solutions are suggested by the authors