The recently held Pakala beach festival in Prakasam district highlighted poor infrastructure such as narrow roads and lack of hotels in the region. The festival was held on 14-15 February 2026 and attracted nearly two million visitors to Pakala village in Singarayakonda mandal of Prakasam district.
Due to the heavy rush on both days, even bureaucrats and members of the public had to suffer hours in traffic jams while attending the event. There have also been cases of vehicles running off the sides of the road. Local residents demanded the construction of a road connecting the National Highway (NH-16) to the beach.
“The government spends huge amounts on events that last a day or two but does not focus on providing permanent roads. This beach is very close to the highway and can attract tourists going towards Tirupati and Chennai if the right road is laid,” said Vekaiah, a food vendor from Kandukur.
AP Maritime Board (APMB) Chairman Damacharla Satyanarayana urged BC Roads and Buildings (R&B) Minister Janardhan Reddy to build a 6 km road from NH-16 to the beach. Mr. Janardhan Reddy responded positively to his request and assured to take up the matter with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and ensure road network in the village.
Due to the lack of hotels near the beach, tourists went to Singarayakonda or Ongole for accommodation after completing the event. Chairman of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), Nukasani Balaji, in an interview with The Hindu, revealed plans to set up restaurants, resorts and hotels near Pakala Beach under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, similar to Tharang Resorts near Ramathirtham Beach.
“Besides, APTDC is trying to set up a park, roads, washrooms, changing rooms and two more watchtowers of the bay at a cost of ₹4-5 crore in the next two or three months,” he said.
Published – 17 Feb 2026 21:13 IST