Many tourists left with unpleasant impressions
Udhagamandalam: Dust, thunder showers and inadequate infrastructure such as proper roads, pedestrian walks and storm water drains greeted the large number of tourists who poured into this hill station during the just-concluded weekend. With the town teeming with visitors and a plan of action to cope with the situation lacking, disorder prevailed.Consequently, notwithstanding the efforts of the district administration to make the current summer memorable, many of the tourists left with unpleasant impressions about this holiday destination.With less than a fortnight to go for the two-day Annual Floral Carnival (AFC) at the Government Botanical Garden the season is in full swing. Thanks to the soaring temperatures down in the plains the number of visitors has been high for the past few days.However, the season has evoked mixed reactions among different sections of the society. A common complaint of the tourists is that many of the roads particularly the highway leading to Udhagamandalam from Mettupalayam are in an appalling condition. Adverting to the major road improvement works being carried out at Charing Cross on the threshold of the town, they said that such things should be done during the off-season period.A mixture of sewage and storm water flowing on a number of roads including the Botanical Garden road subjected the people to considerable hardship. Frustrated citizens told The Hindu that little or no effort has been made by the authorities in charge of local administration to set right the problems relating to the underground sewerage system.Hoteliers said conditions in the town especially those pertaining to civic amenities should be made conducive for a comfortable stay of the visitors. The police should put in place a proper traffic management plan. The focus should be on long-term benefits for all sections.
