Madikeri, Sep 30: Picturesque Kodagu nestled in the Western Ghats, known as the favorite tourist destinations in the South India besides being the top coffee producer in the country, has been severely affected in the tourism sector due to natural calamity last month.
The coffee land always been a best tourist destination, but after the rain havoc and landslides resulting bad hit for the tourism besides its economy as whole. Still people yet to recover from the shock, of course required many days.
Kodagu also known for home stays which has been great demand particularly during the weekends, however, the situation is different now with very few callers for home stay.
People, who were operating home stays and others who depended upon tourism for their livelihood after investing lakhs of rupees, have been badly affected without any business in recent days. A majority of hotel and home stay owners, who had employed hundreds of workers, have sent them back to their native.
Going by official figures, as many as 18 lakh footfalls had been registered at the tourist spots of the district in the first half of this year. However, tourism took a severe beating since August when the district administration had banned visitors for safety purpose.
Even though the ban on tourists was lifted on September 10, the devastating floods and landslides have discouraged visitors from thronging the tourist spots. Only a few, majority of them youths, are visiting Dubare Elephant Camp, Cauvery Nisargadhama, Raja Seat, Abbey Falls, Irupu Falls, Mallalli Falls, Harangi Reservoir and other tourist destinations.
The kidnapped schoolboy was rescued by the police and reunited with his parents. Son of a gift shop owner from Basavanagudi area in Bengaluru, Chirag has reportedly told police that decided to make some quick money to spend on cricket betting and gambling after learning kidnap tricks from the ‘Crime Patrol’. According to police, Chirag reached a private school around 3pm on Tuesday on a Bounce rental bike and zeroed in on a fourth standard student who was walking out of school. He told the boy he was his father's friend and that he required help to search for a relative who had gone missing. The boy believed Chirag and rode pillion on the bike. Chirag then engaged the boy in conversation and learnt about his father's business and got his mobile phone number. He then made a call to the boy's father, demanded Rs 5 lakh and warned him against approaching cops. However, the boy's father alerted Cottonpet police and special teams were formed to crack the case. While Cottonpet inspector Venkatesh TC's squad verified CCTV footage in and around the school, Chamarajpet inspector BG Kumaraswamy's team started tracking the suspect's mobile phone movements. An hour later, the suspect's location was traced to a hotel on the Lavelle Road-St Mark's Road stretch. Police rushed there, rescued the boy and arrested Chirag.
Comments
Without Modi govt support, Karnataka govt can't do anything on this matter. Kodagu people's revenew based on the local tourism.
Central Govt should allocate more fund for the reconstruction of Kodagu.
Land mafia ruling tourism business. They may improve the condition soon inorder to earn more benefit
Resort mafias should be controlled
Unnatural construction caused landslides and deluge. Reconstruction should be focus on nature friendly and without disturbing ecosystem.
Add new comment