The district administration has given e-passes to 51,584 applicants under the ‘tourist’ category to those intending to visit Kodaikanal since September 1 when the State government relaxed restrictions in grant of e-passes.
In view of the pandemic, hill stations like Kodaikanal and Nilgiris remained out of bounds for the public.
Initially, the government agreed to permit only people from the Dindigul district to go to the hill station after repeated pleas from tourist operators and resort owners. The guidelines were further relaxed since September and more tourists started thronging the hill station.
According to the officials at the Collectorate, 7,128 applications seeking e-passes were issued between Oct. 2 and Oct. 4.
Police and health officials at the Silver Cascade and entry point to the Kodaikanal township said that vehicles had piled up for so long that it took close to two hours to ease the traffic on Oct. 2. The rooms were full and vehicles moved around the lake beyond the permitted time. An official at the municipal office said they have instructed all stakeholders to ensure that tourists adhered to physical distancing norms, among other guidelines. However, the instructions were not followed. Public places, especially Bryant Park, were heavily crowded.
Many restaurants increased the tariff due to the sudden rise in the number of visitors. Likewise, many cottages increased the rates, said Antony, who had come from Bangalore with his friends. However, tourists, who came from a nearby point, returned home the same evening after going round the lake and a few other spots, operators said.
