Goa: Fearing nuisance, Sattari locals block roads to waterfalls

VALPOI: As with every monsoon season this year too Sattari villagers have to face the nuisance of picnickers at waterfalls situated at different villages of Sattari. Despite the ongoing pandemic the influx of picnickers has only increased at these pristine spots.
Locals feel unsafe as picnickers drink and create nuisance in the villages and worse still leave behind their waste at these beautiful spots.Villagers of Saleli Sattari and Brahamakarmali Sattari have begun to step up and block roads and paths leading to waterfalls in their villages. Banners have also been put up to keep away visitors and branches, twigs, stones have been put across the path by locals.
Locals also worry that the constant barrage of urban visitors and their trail of waste will ruin Sattari’s waterfalls for nature lovers. The taluka has many waterfalls, the most popular being 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.
The panch of Nagargao village panchayat Parag Khadilkar told TOI that picnickers create nuisance at Brahamakarmali village. “These tourists don’t even wear proper clothes and come in our village to take bath at the waterfall. This is disgusting, they even drink alcohol excessively and behave badly in an intoxicated condition,” Khalidkar said.
He blamed revellers for dumping garbage and plastic all over the forest area. He also said that forest officials take such behavior leniently and don’t visit or patrol these spots as these spots fall in the wildlife sanctuary.
“Police also rarely come to these waterfalls,” Khalidkar said adding that strict action should be taken against such picnickers.
He also said that the Sattari deputy collector Rajesh Ajgaonkar had issued an order banning visits by tourists to waterfalls during pandemic but with no officials following-up on the order, picnickers have a free hand at these locations and end up creating unnecessary ruckus and disturbance.
A villager from Saleli-Sattari, Tukaram Gawas told TOI that the villagers of Saleli have blocked the road leading to the waterfalls but inspite of such measures there were picnickers in the village on Sunday. As residents of this village we took the matter into our hands and sent back all those who had arrived for a picnic at the waterfalls,” Gawas said..
Villagers said that trekkers and picnickers even break alcohol bottles near the waterfalls and leave this behind, making a general nuisance. “We have to deal with drunken brawls and eve-teasing which is so scary at times,” they said.
Locals have complained about such acts to authorities but they say they haven’t seen any action taken. Villagers have demanded that officials deploy policemen at these spots during the weekends to control the crowd as well as to keep a check on activities.