Mahogany Thottam re-opens to visitors in Kochi

Nearly twenty months after the tragic incident in which five youngsters lost their lives, Mahogany Thottam, the river-side tourist destination located in the valley of Malayattoor hill on the outskirts of Ernakulam, has been re-opened to the visitors.

Mahogany Thottam is a river-side tourist destination located in the valley ofMalayattoor hill on the outskirts of Ernakulam district. File Photo

Nearly twenty months after the tragic incident in which five youngsters lost their lives, Mahogany Thottam, the river-side tourist destination located in the valley of Malayattoor hill on the outskirts of Ernakulam, has been re-opened to the visitors.

According to officials, a decision with regard to opening the tourist spot followed repeated requests from the local residents and the Mulamkuzhi Vana Samrakshana Samithi.

Based on these requests, Angamaly MLA Jose Thettayil held discussions with the Ernakulam District Collector M.G. Rajamanickam and Malayattoor Divisional Forest Officer Suneel Pammidi.

A decision to open the spot to tourists from August 1 was subsequently arrived at the meeting.

Considering the possibility of another accident, the forest department has installed sign boards displaying warning messages for visitors. Plans are also afoot to increase the number of life guards, besides setting up a mechanism to ban those entering the spot after consuming alcohol.

Signboards

“We have placed boards at different points alerting visitors to the dos and don’ts and warning them against proceeding beyond the demarcated danger zone. In addition, life guards have been deployed to monitor the movement of tourists and a chain interspersed with red rags has been pulled across the river-side to prevent visitors from venturing into the water,” Mr. Pammidi said.

Meanwhile, local residents said the rope across the stretch of the water to demarcate the areas beyond it as danger zone was useless. However, forest officials justified it stating that erecting a permanent fencing in the area would not work as any such structures would be uprooted by strong currents whenever the water level rose alarmingly.

In December 2012, five cadets under the Delhi Directorate of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) drowned in the Periyar here following which the Forest Department had closed down the spot for an indefinite period.

As per official estimates, about 37 deaths were reported between 2002 and 2007 in dangerous spots here where the Periyar flows through a rocky terrain.