KODAIKANAL
As one goes up the hill towards Kodaikanal, Dum Dum Rock is the first point of halt. It provides a panoramic view of Manjalar dam and Rat Tail Falls that descends from a height of 900 feet. Tourists stop at this viewpoint to take ‘selfies.’ Even Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and private buses stop here for a while.
With tourist flow into Kodaikanal increasing by the year, there is a growing concern over the safety of visitors. Dum Dum Rock, despite its popularity, lacks safety aspects and basic amenities. Old barricades meant as protective barriers are dilapidated and a metal wire fence, which is supposed to discourage tourists from making any adventurous stride, is damaged. A half-a-foot-tall concrete structure is the only visible object that prevents tourists from entering the danger zone.
In the absence of proper surveillance, tourists, mostly young men, women and children, cross the dilapidated barricade and mangled fence to reach the tip of the grass-covered rock to photograph cliffs and the deep valley, unmindful of the danger involved in the act. A slip will push them into a 3,000-foot-deep gorge. “Young men do not respond to our advice against any misadventure,” says A. Periyasamy, a vendor at Dum Dum Rock.
Many of them take selfies with their mobile phones. They move back to cover all members of the family or group, without seeing the edge of the rock. There is none to caution them, point out owners of nearby shops. They feel that police or Forest department personnel should be posted at this place to keep an eye on the movement of tourists.
The area should also come under a permanent surveillance mechanism. Police or forest officials can even depute volunteers to regulate tourists, feels S. Vel Murugan, a cab operator in Kodaikanal.
With no basic amenities and toilet facilities, tourists often relieve themselves in the open. The entire area is littered with garbage. Shopkeepers too use the spot to dump waste.
