PONDA: The tourism season at Dudhsagar waterfall season was officially inaugurated at a function at Collem on Thursday. This was done in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar and other officials.
At present, due to heavy rains and the rising water level in the river, tourists will be ferried to Dudhsagar only after the rains and river water level reduces. They expect the same to happen in the next few days.
Speaking at the function, PWD Minister Pauskar said that tourists have been facing a lot of hardships at Dudhsagar due to the limited facilities available there.
To address this, he said, “Tourism at the waterfall will be promoted by developing tourism related infrastructure at Dudhsagar, which would be worth Rs 24 crore through funding from the Central government.”
He added that the infrastructure will include improvement of rough forest roads leading to Dudhsagar; construction of toilet blocks; creation of drinking water facilities etc.
He said the NOC for the construction of improvement of the road to Dudhsagar was given by the Forest Department at a meeting held in the presence of the Chief Minister. In addition to this, a causeway will be built and money will also be sanctioned for the same.
When RS BJP MP Tendulkar addressed the gathering, he said that he is on the Central government’s tourism and transport committee, which took up the central funding for the creation of the infrastructure as described by his party colleague Pauskar.
Highlighting how Dudhsagar is world famous and thus warranted such funding and development, he said that this year he expects more domestic tourists to visit the waterfall given the ongoing COVID pandemic as compared to the usual footfalls of foreign tourists.
He added that per day, 36 domestic flights land in Goa with tourists.
“We are hoping to create a road at the forest leading to Dudhsagar waterfall, which would be made of mud pavers, just on lines of tourism at Matheran, which also falls in forest area,” said Tendulkar.
Meanwhile, the 400-odd Jeep operators who ferry the tourists to Dudhsagar, demanded that the forest department waives of the fee of Rs 10,000 for this season against the backdrop of the pandemic.
Dudhsagar Tour Operators’ Association President Dilip Maynekar said that last year, each jeep operator paid a fee of Rs 7,500 but could not get much business as the season was closed half way in March. He questioned the decision to hike the fee to Rs 10,000 while reiterating their demand for the same to be waived off.
