With lush greenery, Courtallam becomes a paradise for tourists, who largely throng the place to enjoy the season, which begins in June and lasts till August. The weather is pleasant with cool breeze and intermittent drizzle during the season.
Though the tourists revel in bathing in waterfalls, the boat house facility has never ceased to amaze them. There is a good response to pedal boating from tourists. To fill the tourists with more joy, six more pleasure boats were inducted into the 31-boat fleet in the boat house managed by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation in Courtallam.
These six boats were taken from the boat house in Kodaikanal, which is gradually witnessing the fall of season, sources from Department of Tourism told The Hindu here on Sunday.
Single rowing and four-seated pedal boats are ready. Rainfall steadily declined in the recent past in Courtallam, but flow of tourists, especially at weekends, is at its peak.
Around hundred buses, full of tourists, have been arriving on a weekend day.
Usually, Courtallam witnesses a massive influx of tourists from parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and also from Rajasthan and Maharashtra during the season. But it will be even more by November-end to January as scores of Sabarimala pilgrims will spend their time at Courtallam.
Collector M. Karunakaran told The Hindu that the government had allotted Rs. 5.16 crore under which 50 CCTV cameras had been installed and a park would get renovated soon.
Arrangements were being made to organise ‘Saral Thiruvizha’ in Courtallam, which would begin on July 30.
Superintendent of Police V. Vikraman said adequate arrangement had been made to regulate vehicular traffic, control crowd and to prevent crimes.
The movements of people would be keenly monitored through surveillance cameras that were linked to mini control rooms at Old, Main and Five Falls.
Tasmac liquor shops had been shifted to remote localities from the falls areas.
The SP said one-way traffic system would be followed at weekends and on holidays from Courtallam to Five Falls, Courtallam to Shencottah via Old Police Station, and from Shencottah to Courtallam via Kasimajorpuram and Ramalayam, Five Falls to Courtallam via Residential School Road.
Courtallam police’s tourist patrol vehicle would be available round the clock for assisting the tourists.
To avoid any overcharging by those manning parking lots, a signboard warning of stern action had been installed at fee collection points and they were under close watch.
Public address systems were installed at all falls to address the tourists visiting the falls.
Sirens had also been installed at Main Falls and Five Falls to warn the tourists in case of increased flow of water in the falls, Mr. Vikraman said.
