PONDA: With hordes of tourists making a beeline for the Dudhsagar Waterfalls over the Christmas holidays, and with visitor footfalls expected to peak this week, the government has increased the number of jeep trips ferrying tourists to the falls from 240 to 275 trips per day, from December 27.
The government had earlier restricted the daily number of trips to the falls, to reduce the burden on the eco-sensitive protected forest area. However, it has relaxed these rules and increased the number of trips for a few days, until the first week of January, when the tourist rush is expected to slow down.
A large number of tourists have been visiting the majestic waterfalls over the past two months. The season commenced from the first week of October this year; however, continuous rain and flooding of the river affected tourism for a few days, when it was unsafe to visit the forested area.
Due to the restrictions imposed this year, wherein only 240 jeep trips were allowed, hundreds of tourists who gathered at Collem for a glimpse of the falls returned disappointed, especially during weekends.
The jeeps accommodate around seven passengers at a time. Most visitors to the scenic spot are domestic tourists, who heard of the waterfall after it was featured in Bollywood movie Chennai Express.
Some jeep operators say that the government needs to increase the number of daily trips from October to December, when tourist footfalls are at their peak.
