Families, jeep drivers oppose tourism ban at Mandalapatti

Mysuru: Over 200 families including the jeep drivers, who depend on tourism at Mandalapatti in Kodagu, are protesting against a ban of tourism till August 31 because of heavy rains.

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy has passed an order banning tourism in Mandalapatti for a month as a precautionary measure and for the safety of tourists following reports of minor landslides on two roads leading to Mandalapatti.

One road to Mandalpatti is from Madikeri via Hebbatgeri, Devasthooru and Kaaluru, while the other is from Devasthooru. Both these roads had witnessed heavy landslides during rains last year. This year too there have been landslides on the two roads and the district administration has cleared the slush. Ms Joy passed the orders after a committee constituted by her inspected Mandalpatti and submitted a report.

The report warned that further landslides could occur on the two roads due to likely heavy rainfall in the coming days. Jeep drivers submitted a memorandum to Ms Joy on Thursday, urging her to withdraw the order. They said that at least 200 families from Mandalpatti, Bettageri, Kaalooru, Mukkodlu and Devasthooru have lost properties worth crores during last year’s rain havoc and that they were unable to cultivate because of insufficient rainfall this year so far. They said the families now have to depend on tourists coming to Mandalpatti.

Mandalpatti, which is 30 km from Madikeri, became a hot tourist spot after the popular Kannada movie Gaalipata was shot there.

Meanwhile, after seven days of heavy rains, the Indian Meteorological department has withdrawn the red alert.

Moderate rainfall was reported at Kodagu on Thursday and Friday. The IMD has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall at some of the interior regions of Kodagu up to July 29.