PANAJI/PONDA: Even as the state forest department has increased the number of jeeps plying to the
Dudhsagar waterfall to 300 per day during peak season, operators say that the number of visitors doesn't seem to have increased.
"A large number of domestic and foreign tourists want to visit the falls," said a department official. "However, there are restrictions from our side, since there is a limit of 225 jeeps per day. The additional fleet is to cater to the visitors who have come especially for this season."
The 300-jeep daily limit will hold till January 10.
But the absence of substantial numbers of tourists has irked operators, who blamed this one the government's failure to create awareness about the increase in number of jeeps. The
Dudhsagar Tour Operators Association said that it ferried 1,988 tourists in 284 jeeps on Tuesday and 1,519 in 217 jeeps on Wednesday. "Many tour operators avoid bringing tourists to the waterfall as they fear that they will not get a jeep to ferry their customers," said chairman
Tribolo Souza said.
Souza suggested that the wildlife board, the tourism department, or the
Goa Tourism Development Corporation could have created awareness by publishing advertisements in daily newspapers or erecting hoardings at the airport and other popular tourist destinations.
"I fear that the jeep owners will face financial problems if the number of tourists continue to dwindle," he said.
This isn't the first time the forest department has increased the number of jeeps. During
Diwali season, too, 300 jeeps were allowed to ply daily.
Jeep operators at Dudhsagar have a fleet of over 400 vehicles at their disposal. Each vehicle carries seven commuters per trip, and makes two trips a day. Over 2,000 people make the trip every day.
Dudhsagar waterfall
