Tourist spot Berijam still feels after effects of Gaja

Its impact has created hardships for stakeholders relying on tourists, whose turnout has been unusually poor since the cyclone struck the hill town on November 16.

Since a large number of trees were uprooted in the wake of the cyclone, residents and restaurateurs have been languishing with no electricity in its aftermath. However, of late, the situation has slightly improved and though Kodaikanal witnessed a better turnout of tourists on Sunday, officials were left disappointed as Berijam, one of the most preferred hotspots, is yet to be opened to visitors. 

District Forest Officer, Kodaikanal, SN Thejaswi, when contacted, said Berijam remained closed as a lot of uprooted trees are yet to be cleared from the roads. Since there is a lot of clay in Berijam’s soil, which is mostly known for its lake and scenic beauty, it is consuming a lot of time to clear the trees. Rainfall, which hasn’t completely stopped either in the past few days, is also hindering restoration work. It would be cleared in two or three days once the soil gets hardened and then the Eco Tourism Management Committee would decide on letting tourists into Berijam.

Nearly 7,000 species of pine and eucalyptus were uprooted in Kodaikanal and Perumapallam Range, which are among nine Ranges in the Kodaikanal Forest Division, comprising a total of 52,000 hectares including 7,000 hectares of non-sanctuary area. The teams are still enumerating the loss in all Ranges.

SL Francis Raja, who frequently commutes to Berijam, said this forest area has a lake, fire tower, silent valley, cap’s fly valley and medicine forest, which was earlier known as ‘ Mathikettan Solai’. Only thirty vehicles would be normally allowed through Berijam every day, he added.

Bala, a registered tourist guide, said offseason days in Kodaikanal were considered as the ‘second season’ and there was a time when north Indians, especially from Mumbai and Gujarat would spend their holidays here. But the dreadful impact of the cyclone has affected tourist arrival. “I hope there is good flow of tourists in December when normalcy is completely restored,” he added.

Assistant Tourism Officer M Anandan said power supply resumed at Attuvampatti in Kodaikanal on Saturday night after a gap of nine days, but entry to ‘Moir Point’ and ‘Pillar Rock’ has been restricted since Saturday owing to restoration works. Only tourists, who had already booked for accommodation in Kodaikanal, could arrive in the areas in their own vehicles. On tourism development, he said work on the much awaited 37-km Adukkam route, a new road from Periyakulam – Kodaikanal Ghat road through Adukkam, was nearing completion as only the 4-km stretch in the forest area is pending. Once this stretch is completed and opened to vehicular traffic, congestion would be eased, he added.

Another guide, Dasprakash said his clients had postponed their visit to Kodaikanal to next month. The clients, mostly from Gujarat, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Mysuru and from the Nilgiris, prefe package tours. They usually accommodate themselves for three days and enjoy sightseeing on valley tour, park tour, trekking tour and forest tour, he added.