Due to dizzying traffic jams and lack of adequate basic facilities, tourists who come to kodaikanal, the princess of the hills in search of happiness, return home dejected.
Tourists from other districts of tamil Nadu, foreign states and foreign countries are now invading the international tourist city of kodaikanal in vehicles.
Tourist spots like Bryant Park, Rose Garden, Green Valley, Guna Cave, Pine Forest, Moir Square, Pillar Rock are crowded with tourists everywhere. Hotels and hostels are overcrowded.
But due to traffic congestion, lack of basic facilities like drinking water and toilets etc., tourists lose their peace and go back.
Hostels and tourist vehicle rentals and food prices have increased manifold. A fee is charged to visit the tourist spots under the control of the forest department. However, basic facilities are inadequate.
There is no drinking water in the tourist places and you have to pay for it in the shops. Although toilets (e-toilets) have been set up by the municipal administration and the tourism department, they are unhygienic and stink. Roads around kodaikanal Lake, the road from Perumal Hill to kodaikanal have been damaged in many places.
During holidays there is a long queue of vehicles on the hill road before entering the city of Kodaikanal. Due to the lack of parking facilities, tourists park their vehicles on roadsides and this is a major cause of traffic congestion. No additional police force has been deployed to regulate traffic till now. Additional police should be appointed immediately.
A flower fair and summer festival will be held in kodaikanal from May 26 to june 2. Then the arrival of tourists will increase. Therefore, there is an expectation that steps should be taken to solve the traffic problem by then.
Some of the tourists said:
Kandarvakot tourist Arun: I came to kodaikanal last week. Parking facility for parking vehicles, no provision is made to avoid vehicular congestion. Horse riding and cycling are not possible due to parking around the lake.
Kodaikanal Community Activist Abbas: Parking in kodaikanal is very important. Provision of parking facility for 10 years is with mere notification. He said that the long-awaited parking facility of local people and tourists should be established immediately.
Mamallapuram tourist Rajkumar: Free toilets and drinking water facility should be provided in tourist places. Fee evasion in hostels should be prevented.
Kodaikanal Municipal Chairman Chellathurai: Ahead of the summer season, newly constructed toilets at tourist spots in kodaikanal have been brought in for the use of tourists. Drinking water and ATM facilities have been established here and there. We are going to implement projects worth Rs.70 crore for multilevel car parking, construction of additional toilets.