Popular tourist towns across the Nilgiris wore a deserted look on Tuesday as the district closed to tourists, in line with the State’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Popular parks and gardens across the Nilgiris, including the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam, the Rose Garden, the arboretum, as well as the Sims Park and Kattery Park in Coonoor, were all closed to tourists.
Officials from the Department of Horticulture said that workers living near the various parks and gardens will continue to report to work every day to maintain the spaces and to prevent weeds from taking.
The tourist towns of Udhagamandalam, Coonoor and Kotagiri were practically empty of tourists as most had left the Nilgiris. Gudalur too, was largely crowd-free as tourists from Kerala and Karnataka were also prevented from travelling to the district.
The Ooty Municipal Market saw a decrease in the number of visitors. Many shopkeepers and tradesmen were seen without masks while they said that other protocols stipulated by the district administration, such as physical distancing and limitations to the number of people to each store or shop, were difficult to enforce.
Police as well as officials from various local bodies maintained a strict vigil, ensuring that the few remaining tourists and residents wore masks and maintained physical distancing. Public announcements were also carried out using vehicles from the municipality.
