Road to Chelavara waterfalls calls for attention

Monsoon is the time when waterfalls are in thier natural grandeur. A large number of tourists visit Chelavara waterfalls in the district to enjoy the beauty of nature as it is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations.

The waterfalls are situated 26-km away from Virajpet and five kilometres from Cheyyandane. But the narrow road, leading to the waterfalls, is in  a very bad shape. There is no proper signboard to guide the visitors either.

“If people come here despite all these adversities, it is only because of the beauty of the falls and the alluring ambience surrounding the place,” said the villagers.

The waterfalls, which attract visitors, cascade from  rocky terrains. The waterfalls originates from Somana river and the residents locally call it as ‘Emepare.’ One has to walk through coffee estates to reach the waterfalls.

The entire six kilometre stretch is in a pathetic condition with huge potholes. Hundreds of vehicles ply on the road daily. Though Tourism Department had planned to concrete the stretch at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore, it has not been realised so far. Even the gram panchayat had failed to repair the road.

Toll collection
“In fact, the gram panchayat had collected toll from the visitors. In one year, it had collected toll of Rs 2.50 lakh. But it neglected the issue and stopped the toll collection. The collected amount could have been used for developing the surroundings of waterfalls. No account has been maintained for the collected toll amount,” the villagers alleged.

The waterfalls are surrounded by weeds and there is no security for the visitors. The pothole-filled road needs to be repaired, villager Bachamandal Tilaka Changumayya said.