Bengaluru: The authorities have slapped a blanket ban on trekkers at the famous monsoon destination, the Dudhsgar waterfalls, following a number of accidents in recent days.
In the last one week, three people have been feared washed away in the three-tier waterfall, which is among the tallest in the country. Also, in one of the two accidents, a girl, who was taking a photograph, lost her leg after she fell off a moving goods railway coach and her leg came under the wheels of the train.
The area is remote and no immediate medical help is available. Castle Rock the nearest village is around 16 km from, while Molem town in Goa is around 17 km.
“We have deployed policemen at the Castle Rock and Molem railway stations to stop trekkers from walking on the tracks. “The Railways has suspended its stop at the Dudhsagar railway station. Last weekend, around 5,000 people passed through the waterfall bridge,” said an official from the Bhagawan Mahaveer Nation Park, Goa.
The waterfall gained popularity after a few movies were shot at the spot. A Kannada hit movie, Myna, had a number of scenes near the waterfall. It increased the flow of tourists from different parts of Karnataka. After it was filmed in the Bollywood hit Chennai Express, the number has further gone up.
“During summer, the waterfall dries up. The tourists are allowed to go in jeeps to the pond where the waterfall reaches the ground. But we are now thinking of regulating the number of visitors during drier months too,” he said.
“Tourists have strewn the place with plastic bottles and plastic covers. This could affect the rare bird, reptile and insect species in these parts. The area has remained pristine as it is not connected by road. Our first work is to clear the garbage,” he said.
