Madurai:
Kodaikanal, the princess of hill resorts, is bursting at the seams despite a dry spell.
With the sun showing no mercy on the residents in the plains, tourist influx to the popular hill station in the south Tamil Nadu is soaring.
“The average arrival of tourists during weekdays is 3,000 and during weekends is 5,000 now. If the colleges are closed for vacation, there will be a steep rise in the number of tourists visiting Kodaikanal. We expect a considerable increase in the influx this summer,” says an official in the tourist department.
Exhibiting flamboyance with 75 percent of 3.5 lakh plants planted for the ensuing flower show blooming in splendor, the Bryant Park spread on 20.5 acres has attracted 21,000 visitors since the beginning of April.
Horticulture deputy director S.Raja Mohamed says, “Put together, the revenue collected through sale of tickets to visitors to Bryant and Chettiar parks is Rs 6.2 lakh in the last 12 days.” Even as Bryant Park has been readied for the flower show, he says, fancy varieties like California Poppy, popularly called Singamuga poo (lion-faced flower) in local lingo, and andraeanum, a frog-shaped flower, are in full bloom.
Anticipating traffic congestion and problem in parking tourist vehicles as encountered in the last few years, the municipality in coordination with highways and forest departments is making arrangements to level the government lands along the approach roads to sight-seeing places.
“Usually, the stretch of tourist spots from Green Valley View, Pillar Rock, Guna Caves, Moyer Point to pine forests is choked with vehicular traffic during peak season. So steps have been taken to level the forest and revenue lands on the roadsides in these sites to facilitate parking of vehicles,” an officer in the municipality said.
“The pleasant climate is drawing crowds from the plains to the hills. Hence, we are also chalking out plans to mitigate water shortage,” he added. Kodaikanal recorded a minimum temperature of 17 degree Celsius and maximum of 24 degree Celsius on Friday.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by AR. Meyyammai / Saturday, April 13th, 2013