PONDA: Dharbandora Deputy Collector Sagun Velip visited Dudhsagar waterfall and directed the railway and Forest officials to adopt safety measures and put in place necessary infrastructure at Dudhsagar waterfall including deputing of security personnel and lifeguards to avoid incidents of drowning.
With the monsoon adding beauty to Dudhsagar waterfall which is a popular tourist destination, it is attracting more number of tourist. The number of tourist visiting the site by railway every Saturday and Sunday are increasing and due to lack of safety measures incidents of drowning of tourist has created a little worry among officials. On June 28, one tourist from Mysore drowned in the waterfall. Locals at Collem demanded with officials to prohibit tourists from entering the water and also demanded a sign board so that no tourist enters water during the monsoon season.
During the monsoons, the Forest department bans tourist visiting Dudhsagar due to the safety aspect and the activity where tourist jeep operators ferry tourists over the 14 km rough forest road leading to Dudhsagar is also stopped till September-end. The season here commences in October. However, the Forest department has no control over those visiting Dudhsagar using the railway.
Though Forest department bans tourist entering the jungle area, there is no control on tourist visiting Dudhsagar by railway which passes over the Dudhsagar waterfall bridge. Many tourists get down from the bridge and enter the waters of Dudhsagar during the monsoon thus putting their life in jeopardy.
The Deputy Collector conducted a meeting with forest official Dyaneshwar Kudalkar, Assistant officer Rajesh Naik, Collem Panchayat Secretary Gokuldas Kudalkar and Collem Police Inspector Nilesh Diagodkar at the Dudhsagar waterfall site to put in place suitable measures to avoid deaths. Since the area comes in the jurisdiction of the Railways the Forest department cannot interfere and has to depend on the Railway Authorities to take appropriate measures. The tourist also use goods trains to visit Dudhsagar.
