Panaji, Jul 4 (IANS): Once a pristine beach and now plagued with pollution due to affluent dumping and overcrowding, the state Tourism Ministry on Thursday sought financial assistance from the central government to revive the past glory of South Goa's Colva beach as one of the iconic tourism destinations in the coastal state.

Chairman of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation Dayanand Sopte and state Tourism Secretary J. Ashok Kumar on Thursday made a presentation before Union Minister of State for Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel and Union Tourism Secretary Yogendra Tripathi, to "discuss and finalize funding for development of Colva beach as an iconic tourism destination", Sopte said.

Colva beach in south Goa was one of the most popular beaches in the state, which is known as a tourism hub. However, overcrowding and dumping of sewage in the vicinity of the beach has over the years, eroded its popularity.

Sopte claims that funding from the central tourism ministry would help clean up the beach and install facilities for the thousands of tourists who still visit the beach every year.

"We have discussed and finalized our proposal for the development of Colva beach as a clean and world-class tourism centre with the central government," Sopte added.

Goa is one of the top beach tourism destinations in the country and attracts nearly seven million tourists every year.