Creaky floorboards, dilapidated roofs and damaged stairways are not only an eyesore for tourists visiting the Honeymoon Boat House in Udhagamandalam, but are also existential threats to the health and safety of the hundreds of visitors that visit the popular tourist spot on a daily basis.
Unlike its more popular counterpart, the Honeymoon Boat House has become a picture of neglect, with the main structure also being damaged by the elements. The roof at the building where tourists queue up for boat rides has also been severely damaged, while a few stairways have been blocked by Tourism Department officials as they are so badly damaged that they pose a risk to visiting tourists.
R. Ramasundaram, a tourist from Bengaluru, part of a party of 35 who are on a visit to the Nilgiris, said that he and his family had come to the Honeymoon Boat House as the Ooty Boat House was too crowded.
However, he said that after taking a look at the structural damage to the Honeymoon Boat House building, he had become apprehensive of taking a boat ride offered there.
“I became concerned that the boats might also not be maintained well, and so we decided to just enjoy the lake, and not go for a boat ride,” said Mr. Ramasundaram.
The Tourism Department is planning on carrying out repairs to the boat house, but there has been no definitive timeline set for the work to commence. An official said that a proposal for a few lakh rupees for repairs and maintenance is pending.
