Valpoi: Taking a cue from Nagargao villagers, now villagers of Saleli have blocked the pathway to the waterfalls by putting up bamboo-made fences so as to stop visitors including tourists from reaching the natural wonder in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid nuisance.

With a rise in the number of picnickers and trekkers including bikes, alarmed residents now fear that the visitors may spread COVID-19 cases in the area.

Residents of some villages in Sattari have already blocked roads leading to the picturesque waterfalls.

Villagers also forced some to return back and barricaded the routes leading to the waterfalls.

“As COVID cases are on the rise across the state, we fear that the visitors may bring the virus to our village. Hence, we have blocked the routes to the waterfalls with bamboo fences to prevent the visits,” one Laxman Gawas from Saleli told this daily.

Residents also suspect that picnickers consume alcohol and drugs and break liquor bottles near the waterfalls creating a nuisance.

“It was a collective decision of the villagers not to allow visitors to the waterfalls. Since these waterfalls come under private property, villagers decided to stop people from coming to our village due to the ongoing pandemic situation,” Vishwajit K Rane, who is a BJP leader and a resident of Saleli.

Some aggrieved villagers told this daily that the picnickers dump garbage including plastic all over the forest area. They also worry that the constant barrage of urban visitors and their trail of waste will ruin these waterfalls for nature lovers.

It may be recalled that some years back, a Pernem youth who had come to Saleli, had lost his life at the waterfall. Sattari taluka has many waterfalls, the most popular being at Saleli, Keri, Morle, Copardem, Pali, Charavane, Hivre, Nanoda, Sirguli, Bambar, Brahmakarmali, Shelpe and Chorla Ghat. All of these waterfalls are seasonal and spring to life only during the monsoon. Most are located within the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.