Puliyancholai under the foot of the Kolli Hills, about 72 km from Tiruchi, is one of the areas where the tourism potential has not been fully tapped despite its main attraction in the form of a steady flow of stream round the year contributing to flow of tourists from different parts of the State.
A five-hour trek on the hills under the maintenance of the Forest Department in Namakkal provides a wide exposure to ancient stones and different curved rocks and caves. For obvious reasons, restriction beyond 6 p.m. is strictly restricted.
A number of wayside eateries have come up causing pollution to food stuff that includes fried fish, sugarcane, ‘sundal’ and mangoes. No parking shed is availableforcing vehicles to be parked in a haphazard manner. A cess is being collected from vehicle drivers.
Although the site does not belong to the Tourism Department, it has been releasing funds for maximum utilisation of tourism potential here. “The Union Ministry of Tourism and the state Department of Tourism had, during 2001-02, released ₹17.50 lakh for providing some infrastructure including road facility,” says a source.
Again, in 2012-13, the State Tourism Department had released ₹ 50 lakh for setting up children’s park, compound, passenger shelter, concrete floor for parking of vehicles particularly buses, and drinking water facility. But a majority of these infrastructure is not utilised or under-utilised.
Most important is the non-availability of drinking water.
All the work had been executed through the Pachaperumalpatti village panchayat where the area is located.
Although entertainment infrastructure has been provided four years ago, the same ramained damaged. The passenger shelter is totally inaccessible due to thick growth of vegetation, say a group of tourists from Ayyalur near Manapparai.
The tourists pleaded for construction of a number of cottages for taking bath in the water considered to be rich in herbal value.
An official attached to the Panchayat Department said he would take action for supply of drinking water to tourists and for prompt maintenance and repair work on infrastructure.
Officials say that strict action should be taken against anti-social activities in the area.
