the goan I network
PONDA
The jeep drives, which began on October 1, 2015, officially came to an end on Tuesday. A notice from authorities stated: “The Dudhsagar tourist circuit located in BMNP is closed for tourists with immediate effect consequent upon onset of South West monsoon in
the State.”
The closure of the season also means the Collem panchayat is expected to lose revenue to the tune of Rs 37.8 lakh over the next four months when the monsoon is at its peak in this bio-diversity hotspot of the Western Ghats.
Speaking to The Goan, Range Forest Officer Dyaneshwar Kudalkar said, “The 14-km stretch to Dudhsagar, which starts from Collem, has become slippery and accident-prone. Even on Monday, some incidents of slipping were reported, hence it was decided to close the gate.”
According to estimates, the Collem panchayat would stand to lose about Rs 18 lakh revenue over the next four months with the closure of the Dudhsagar waterfalls.
“The panchayat earned revenue by renting out life-saving jackets at Rs 30 per visitor,” said Collem Panchayat Secretary Amol Tendulkar.
According to Dilip Mairekar, President of Dudhsagar Tour Operators’ Association, in the just-concluded season 150 jeeps visited Dudhsagar on a daily basis carrying nearly 1,050 tourists. “This season was very good for the jeep operators as MLA Ganesh Gaonkar had helped us a lot,” Mairekar stated.
During the last season, Gaonkar had announced plans to start a ‘rent-a-bike’ service. Collem locals were hopeful that if the service took off, they would earn a livelihood.
Asked whether they had received any application in this regard, Collem Panchayat Secretary Tendulkar replied in the negative. “If such request comes to us, we will decide on giving permission and also provide jackets to them,” he added.
Last year, 431 jeeps were authorized to enter the park, of which about 200 jeeps did business on alternate days.
The villagers say many youth used to ride towards Dudhasagar along the railway route, but this was stopped by authorities
last year.
