Coimbatore :

The annual summer festival to promote tourism at Valparai is all set to begin from May 31. This time it will be more colourful with the festival being converted into a three-day event from a two-day programme as demanded by the local residents.

Tourist potential of this hill station, located about 100 km from Coimbatore, has not been tapped fully and the government is taking sustained efforts to place Valparai on the same platform with other hill stations like Ooty, Coonoor and Kodaikanal. The Valparai residents want better infrastructure to attract more and more tourists.

“Not just infrastructure facilities, government should also consider creation of recreational features like parks, boat houses and rope cars,” J Manoj Kumar, a Valparai native and an entrepreneur in Coimbatore said.

According to him, Valparai is unique because it is one of the least explored hill stations. Far from pollution it is a prefect tourist destination. Local people had demanded that the summer festival should be held on a bigger scale on a par with Ooty Summer Fest. “Tourism development in Valparai would bring great change in the lives of the local people, their livelihood will improve to a great extent,” Manoj Kumar  said.

District collector M Karunagaran recently convened a preparatory meeting over the summer festival at Valparai and directed officials of various government departments to ensure proper arrangements. “A committee has been formed to supervise the arrangements and to make the three-day event a grand success,” he said. Flower show, dog show, food festival, exhibitions, sports competitions and cultural events will be held as part of the summer festival between May 31 and June 2.

Officials said special buses from Coimbatore and Pollachi to Valparai will be operated during the summer festival. This apart special buses will ply from Valparai to other tourist locations. Police and fire, rescue service personnel and special medical teams have been asked to be on full alert during the festive days.

The journey to Valparai through the ghat section which has more than 40 hairpin bends with tea plantations on either side provides a breathtaking experience for the travellers.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / May 19th, 2013