To cash in on Ganeshotsav rush, MTDC asks Kas villagers to turn houses into homestays

Sunil Kirale, who does odd jobs during the year, is among the 30 youngsters who have been trained as eco-guides. The tourist season begins in August and goes on till October. “A late monsoon has delayed the flowering activity. But like all good things associated with Ganeshotsav, the valley has again blossomed. The village is picturesque with Ganesha’s idols installed in each house surrounded by flowers,” he added.

Vitthal Kirdat is another such villager who runs a food stall during the year, but has now been supported by the forest department and MTDC to initiate the concept of home stay. He has made arrangements in two rooms with four beds each for a weekend stay. Kirdat has also set up a website http://www.kaspatharholiday.com

Vaishali Chavan, regional manager of MTDC, Pune, pointed out that due to the delay in the flowering activity, the rush of tourists was yet to begin. “We have been encouraging villagers to set aside extra rooms and offer beds and breakfast at their homes,” she said. Homestay is an eco-tourism initiative. The economic benefits will be circulated in the village. This would ensure that not only the JFMC members were benefited through tourism on Kas but also the villagers, she added. Tourists can also go further to Kas lake and Bamnoli boating club.
Last year, the collection of around Rs 18-19 lakh was divided among the four villages, added Vishnu Kirdat, in-charge of the village committee. The money earned is used to pay people, apart from providing better infrastructure at the villages. Our youngsters were also involved in regular collection and segregation of solid waste, Kirdat added.

“There are 375 flowering species, of which 47 are under the threatened category. A total of 98 species which are endemic to peninsular India are found in Kas. Satara is the convenient gateway for a visit to Kas and this place is unique because of the lateritic soil. During monsoon, Kas sports vivid shades of pink balsams, yellow smithias and blue utricularias. UNESCO has listed Kas as a world natural heritage site. To reduce air and noise pollution, there is no parking zone on the plateau during the peak season,” said N R Praveen, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Satara.