Furore at Collem as trips to Dudhsagar curtailed

TEAM HERALD

PONDA: Hundreds of tourists have been left disappointed following restrictions on the number of jeeps carrying tourists to the famed Dudhsagar waterfalls.

With the tourist season at Dudhsagar waterfalls commencing last week, a large number of tourists have been flocking to Collem, where they are taken by local tour operators to the waterfalls. In the absence of online booking facilities at Collem, tourists have to book tickets at a counter in Collem between 8.30 am and 3.30 pm.

However, the forest department has reportedly restricted only 225 tourist jeeps per day from the entering the Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary to the Collem waterfall.

Sources told Herald that authorities had restricted the number of tourist jeeps due to parking, pollution and other safety reasons.

As a result, the numerous tourists are either forced to wait for long hours or have no option but to return without a glimpse of the famed Dudhsagar waterfall.

Unhappy about the restriction in number of jeeps, the Dudhsagar Tour Operators’ Association headed by Tribolo Souza met Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr Anil Kumar and demanded that the forest department permit at least 325 jeeps to Dudhsagar per day. 

“There are at least 430 jeeps of tour operators in the area and since only 225 vehicles are allowed to carry tourists, nearly 225 jeeps remained idle,” Souza told Herald.

“As a result, not all tourists can catch a glimpse of the breathtaking waterfall, while around 225 tour operators cannot earn their livelihood.”  

“With the closure of mining activities, many jobless youth from Collem and surrounding areas had purchased vehicles to transport tourists from October to May to the Dudhsagar waterfalls,” he added.

Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar assured the unhappy tour operators that he would look into the matter and would also discuss the issue with the chief minister.