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Published on : Saturday, September 12, 2020
Kodaikanal Hills are now open for tourists; however, they will require a valid e-pass from the respective district administration in order to visit there. Each year, the hill station lures thousands of visitors from around the country, but it had to remain closed for 5.5 months due to the Corona virus lockdown.
The Tamil Nadu state government eased some of the lockdown restrictions as per Unlock 4.0 guidelines, and has allowed inter-district buses and trains to recommence operations from September 7. Stakeholders from the tourism industry in Kodaikanal have urged opening up tourism activities, after which the Dindigul District Administration permitted reopening only three tourist spots, such as Rose Garden, Bryant Park, and Chettiar Park for tourists henceforth.
Other well-known locations like the Green Valley View, Berijam Lake among others would be opened in a phased manner after consultation with the forest and other department officials.
Even though the government has cancelled the e-pass system for intra-state and inter-state travels, it has made e-pass compulsory for visitors to popular tourist destinations like Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Ooty, and Yercaud. However, those from the same district will not require the e-passes, as they can proceed to the hills along with their address proof. Dindigul Collector M Vijayalakshmi said that those applying for an e-pass for traveling to Kodaikanal should click the ‘tourist’ category on the online application.
The tourist spots have also been opened following the standard operating procedures like wearing face masks, sanitizing hands, and following adequate social distancing. Moreover, water and food would be unavailable on the premises as per the guidelines.
Tags: Kodaikanal Hills