As Covid-19 fear dips, Dudhsagar footfalls rise

Ponda: With the Covid-19 fear diminishing, the number of tourist footfalls at the Dudhsagar waterfalls at Collem in Dharbandora, has been rising. A total of 156 jeeps ferried 1,092 tourists to the falls on the first day of the new tourist season, on Monday.
The season was inaugurated ceremonially by local MLA Ganesh Gaonkar on October 2, but no tourist could visit the falls as the jeeps could not operate due to high water current midway in the natural streams.
Even during the first day of the season last year midway in the rivulet the water current was strong and the forest department had allowed only 20 jeeps with a total of 140 tourists.
In 2020, a weaker start was seen with a mere 110 visitors on the first day of the season, the lowest number since 1989 when the waterfalls was opened for the public.
This year, 431 jeeps are registered with the State Wildlife Board to ferry passengers to the foot of the Dudhsagar falls. The board has, however, restricted the number of jeeps that can operate to 240.
Dudhsagar Falls, which means sea of milk, is a four-tiered waterfall located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctury. At a height of 310m, it is among India’s tallest waterfalls. The average width of the falls in 30m.
Every year thousands of visitors, both domestic and foreign, throng to the falls to get a glimpse of its milky waters cascading into the lake at its foot.