Coimbatore: Picnic spots closer to the city would soon be bustling with activity again. After throwing open the Monkey Falls at Aliyar on Pollachi-Valparai road for the public on Sunday, the forest department is all set to open Kovai Courtallam Falls next week.
V Pugalendi, Pollachi forest range officer, said, “We opened the Monkey Falls after a gap of eight months on Sunday and the entry point to the falls will be disinfected daily. We are allowing at least 200 tourists a day after screening them for temperature at the check post, where we have deployed the department’s frontline staff with a thermal scanner. We have also placed hand sanitizers at the check post. Tourists must wear face mask.”
He said the water falls was closed on March 24 following the Covid-19 outbreak.
The public works department (PWD) has, meanwhile, opened the park at the Aliyar Dam near Pollachi for tourists on Tuesday morning. The opening ceremony was presided over by Valparai MLA Kasthuri Vasu.
P Manickavel, assistant engineer, PWD, said they had deployed staff at park’s main gate to ensure tourists were adhering to the face mask etiquette. “We have also placed hand sanitizers at the entrance. Tourists are not allowed to take their food inside the park, where plastic items are banned.”
The park will be open for the public from 8am to 6pm daily. There is an entrance fee of Rs5 for all the visitors aged above three years. “Visitors’ details, including mobile phone numbers, will be entered in a register before allowing them in,” the officer said.
The park saw a footfall of 900 on Tuesday.
D Venkatesh, district forest officer, said, they were preparing standard operating procedure to be followed by tourists at the Kovai Courtallam. “We are planning to open the Kovai Courtallam Falls in the next week.”