Covid-19 fear spurs Saleli villagers to stop picnickers

By: Afaq Khan
VALPOI: Sattari taluka’s famed waterfalls have been a huge draw among visitors looking to soak in the monsoon atmosphere. Given the steady stream of picnickers and trekkers, alarmed residents now fear a rise in Covid-19 cases.
On Sunday, villagers of Saleli took matters into their own hands and sent back all those who had arrived for a picnic at the waterfalls.
“As Covid cases are on rise across the state, we fear that these visitors may bring the virus to our village. Hence, we have blocked the routes to the waterfalls with bamboo fences to dissuade them,” Tukaram Gawas, a resident of Saleli, told TOI.
On Monday, the locals submitted a memorandum to Sattari deputy collector Mangaldas Gaonkar, demanding that the entry of visitors to the waterfalls be prohibited.
The deputy collector assured the villagers to look into the matter.
Residents also suspect that picnickers consume drugs, and also break liquor bottles near the waterfalls, creating a nuisance.
They also blamed revellers for dumping garbage and plastic all over the forest area.
Two years ago, a Pernem youth who had come to Saleli, lost his life at the waterfall while performing a stunt with his four-wheeler, Gawas said.