If the scenic Kuntala waterfall in Adilabad district has had no accidental drowning deaths since the 2018 tourist season, much is owed to the efforts of the six-member lifeguard team and the lone guide employed by the Forest and Tourism departments respectively.
But, the salary being handed out to these life-savers, all belonging to Kuntala village located about 5 km away, does not seem to be compensating their efforts and hard work, at least in their view.
The guide was given training in 2004 but appointed on contract only in 2012 on a salary of ₹3,000. The lifeguards were appointed much later and get a salary of ₹4,000 each.
“It is not commensurate to the kind of effort we put in or the money we spend on purchasing fuel for our bikes,” said one of the lifeguards. “We have to climb down and up the 400 steps to reach the foot of the waterfall and on top of the hillock several times daily,” he pointed out.
The delay in setting up an accommodation at the picturesque place is also being resented by villagers of Kuntala, who will apparently get to manage tourism-related activities.
They have proposed to sell a piece of land to the government to be used for construction of cottages and other facilities but there is an inexplicable reluctance from the authorities in proceeding.
