Pilgrims, tourists face hardship due to lack of basic facilities at Kavlem

PONDA: Thousands of tourists and pilgrims visiting famous Shantadurga Temple at Kavlem, which is one of the famous temples across India, is facing parking, accommodation and toilet problems.

Despite being a religious and tourist place, the Tourism Department has totally neglected and abandoned its project meant for the tourists, for the past 20 years. 

“The project is located few metres away from the temple but of no use. Tourists get disappointed due to lack of proper basic facilities,” said Kavlem Village Panchayat Sarpanch Rajesh Kavlekar.

The locals along with Sarpanch Kavlekar demanded that Tourism Department either create parking and accommodation facilities or renovate the project so that it can fetch revenue. 

The Tourism Department’s complex at Kavlem with hotel, dormitories and toilet blocks situated in around 4,000 sqmtrs is lying in dust for the past two decades due to negligence of the Department. 

Now it has become a hub for liquor parties, garbage and construction dumps. With big grown trees, bushes around, the abandoned project has found itself in the jungle, which has become difficult to spot. 

The tourists visiting Kavlem face major parking problem and according to local Sarpanch Kavlekar the dilapidated tourist complex should be demolished for creating parking and residential facilities for the tourists or the Tourism Department should handover the project to Kavlem Panchayat for development work so that revenue could be generated from it. 

“Since past two decades, the panchayat is wholeheartedly making efforts to put up the grievances of the locals and tourists with Tourism Department but it has gone on deaf ears.”

“The tourists often ask for accommodation especially during night time but get disappointed on hearing of its unavailability. In all other temples across the country such facilities exist and so the tourists often keep on asking. Further, as there is no space for parking, the tourists park their vehicles along the road side. The Tourism Department can also make best use of this space for parking by demolishing the tourist Complex,” said sarpanch.

“The abandoned project of Tourism Department which was constructed to generate revenue ran successfully for few years but later failed to provide facilities as there were no proper management and maintenance, say the locals, who are demanding facilities for the tourists. 

The complex, which was built in the year 1996 consisting of restaurant, eight bedded dormitories and toilets, is abandoned and in dilapidated condition. Restaurant is closed for the past 10 years while dormitories were in use only for three years.

If Tourism Department cannot manage to run, it should be handover to local panchayat so that it can generate some revenue. Besides, the parking problem can also be solved if the unused land acquired by Tourism Department can be handed over to the panchayat.

Sarpanch Kavlekar said, “Since last two decades we are trying and now again a fresh resolution was also passed requesting the Tourism Department to handover the dilapidated tourism complex to Kavlem Panchayat for providing facilities to tourists or the Department itself should renovate or demolish it for providing parking or accommodation facilities for the tourists or pilgrims, who are facing inconvenience.”