Team Herald
SANQUELIM: The Harvalem waterfalls, one of the most visited places during the monsoons in Goa, is witnessing a rapid rise in water level.
Tourists and neighbouring villages flock on their annual picnics to the waterfall overcrowding the area.
Locals are however wary of the visitors crowding the area as they say that many deaths have been reported here in the rains as often inebriated men take plunge in the water losing their lives. The drunk tourists resort to a lot of vulgarity besides messing up with the place, the villagers said. Broken bottles litter the place too, they added and demanded that permanent security guards were the need of the hour here to keep a tab on the visitors, especially the unruly ones.
Last year too, two young men had lost their lives here and the Fire Services were pressed into service to retrieve their bodies . The waterfall is deep and fun seeking tourists who don’t know to swim often end up drowning here too, say residents.
“The temple and waterfall is visited by local, national as well as international tourists; however, the Tourism Department is turning a Nelson’s eye to the unpleasant activities at this beautiful site. There is no one to keep a watch on the visitors and drunk tourists who create a nuisance here. The Temple Committee had time and again requested the Tourism Department to post security gaurds to keep anti-social elements at bay but sadly our pleas have fallen on deaf ears ,” said Yashwant Madkar, Rudreshwar Temple Committee president.
