A two-day flower show and 10-day summer festival will commence in the third week of May in Kodaikanal. Elaborate arrangements will be made to attract more tourists to the hill station this year, said Collector T.N. Hariharan.
Addressing a special meeting on summer festival here on Monday, he said that inaugural session will be held at Bryant Park. Horticulture Department will conduct a flower show.
The 60-km-long Batlagundu-Kodaiknal Ghat Road was being renovated. Damaged areas and damaged parapet walls will be set right. Palani-Kodaikanal Ghat Road will also be renovated for smooth traffic flow.
Sign boards and reflector lights will be displayed at deep curves and danger zones. District forest office will provide space temporarily to park private vehicles near the tourists’ spots.
Competitions for tourists will also be arranged. Tournaments, athletic meets and marathon races will be conducted on all festival days at Moonjikkal ground and near the lake.
Health officials will conduct medical camps and sufficient life saving drugs will be kept ready at Kodaikannal GH to treat tourists in case of emergency, he added.
Kodai in security blanket
Kodaikanal town will be brought under security blanket to ensure adequate protection to tourists. Surveillance cameras will be fitted at vantage points to monitor tourist gathering places.
Some of the prime tourist spots will be hooked on with CCTV cameras for effective surveillance.
Cultural programmes, including folk music presentations, dance, drama and light music programmes will be held as part of the festival at Bryant Park, he added. Rose garden and special plant varieties at the Glass House will be the star attraction for tourists. Glass house was renovated and new plants were also grown.
Top priority was being given to providing drinking water and improving sanitation. The municipality had been advised to keep toilets clean and also put up mobile toilets at key tourist spots.
The State Transport Corporation will operate additional buses to the hill town from Tiruchi, Dindigul, Palani, Madurai and Theni districts. It will also operate special services between different tourist locations, the Collector added.
