PONDA: Tourists are being ferried to the majestic Dudhsagar waterfall since Monday as trips to the iconic destination at Collem began for the current season after an eight-day delay.
Day one saw all-terrain vehicles make 156 trips to transport visitors to the fall and back after local MLA Ganesh Gaonkar threw the forest gates open. Daily trips are expected to increase to 225 within the next couple of days as tourists are likely to throng the spot. This has boosted the morale of vehicle operators, hoteliers and allied business people in the area who are largely dependent on tourist footfalls to Dudhsagar and who are only just recovering after the Covid-19 pandemic robbed them of their livelihood for two consecutive years.
Although the season had officially commenced on October 2, heavy rain had caused the Dudhsagar River to flood, making it impossible for the vehicles to cross over to the other side to get to the waterfall.
The trip from the forest gate to the waterfall is approximately 14 kilometres long. Before traversing a dense and rocky forest, the all-terrain vehicles are required to drive through the Dudhsagar River at two spots, which in itself is an adventurous experience for visitors.
Since the fall lies in the eco-sensitive Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, the government has laid down strict rules that permit a limited number of trips per day. However, relaxation is provided during peak tourist season – from mid-October till the beginning of February – when footfalls to the picturesque destination are generally high.
