The Thiruvambady and Kodenchery grama panchayats have asked the Tourism Department to address safety issues at Pathankayam falls, an ecotourism spot in Kozhikode district, where three youngsters drowned recently.
The local bodies say they cannot afford to hire security guards to be posted along vulnerable stretches of the tourism spot.
“At least the entry points to the falls from Anakkampoyil and Narangathodu areas should be brought under surveillance. If the Tourism Department takes over the location the same way it did Arippara and Thusharagiri waterfalls, it will be of great advantage to tourists,” says Thiruvambady panchayat president P.T. Augustine. All the ecotourism destinations are well-connected and it will help the Tourism Department come up with better conservation or development ventures, he adds.
Warning boards
The panchayats have put up warning boards along vulnerable stretches in their limits. The total number of sightseers who drowned in and around the falls over the last eight years is more than 20 as per police records. The panchayat authorities say sightseers from urban areas and other districts are the ones mostly involved in the accidents, due to their ignorance about the risks and their unwillingness to follow safety instructions.
“We have also noticed an increase in the attempts of teenagers to use dangerous stretches at the tourism spot for special gatherings and farewell parties. There should be curbs on such celebrations,” says Thampi Parakandathil, a member of Kodenchery panchayat.
Management panel
The tourist spot, located nearly 50 km from Kozhikode city, does not have a proper destination management committee to look into safety issues or other development needs. Panchayat authorities say a committee can be formed only with the support of the Tourism Department.
