Though Courtallam has started attracting tourists, civil work at Main Falls is yet to be finished.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Even as the tourists’ visit to Courtallam to enjoy the salubrious climate and electrifying bath in waterfalls has already started with the southwest monsoon drenching the Western Ghats, this tiny tourist destination where tourism-friendly infrastructure are in awful condition, is not ready to receive them.Even though Courtallam receives several lakhs of tourists between June and August to enjoy refreshing bath in the Main Falls, Five Falls, Old Courtallam Waterfalls, there is a huge gap between reality and demand for tourist-friendly infrastructure like sanitation, roads, affordable hotels, food etc.Since the officials attached to the Department of Food Safety are yet to conduct surprise check in the eateries and the hotels, which have mushroomed in large numbers in view of the three-month-long season, the quality of food being served in Courtallam is worse even though the price of the dishes is quit high.Since the cottages belonging to the Courtallam Town Panchayat are in the worst shape, the tourists have to stay in the private lodges and hotels, where the tariff is exorbitantly high. The three-bedroom and the two-bedroom houses in Courtallam and the surroundings are mostly under the control of the individuals who too charge very high tariff.The tariff of three-bedroom houses, which are available for ₹3,000 during weekdays, is upwardly revised to ₹5,000 a day for Saturdays and Sundays. When the demand is quite high due to ‘good season’, the charges will be further revised beyond this limit since there is no monitoring by the officials.
