RPF dampens tourists’ spirits, says Dudhsagar is off limits

PONDA: Several visitors were left dejected upon being prevented from visiting the popular Dudhsagar waterfall on Sunday. Railway police force (RPF) personnel allegedly disallowed them to alight at the Dudhsagar railway station.
Trains usually make a short stop at the station on specific days, including weekends.
Following several reports of deaths and accidents at the site, a meeting convened by south Goa collector Sachin Shinde on July 16, the RPF were instructed to take precautionary measures in a bid to protect lives.
K Shivashankar, one of the many debarred visitors, said that RPF personnel entered trains and restrained passengers trying to get off at the Dudhsagar railway station. They were later allowed to alight at the nearby Castle Rock station, following which a few people walked down to the waterfall.
“It was the senior citizens who suffered the most, because they were unable to walk to the Dudhsagar to witness its beauty during the monsoon,” Shivashankar added. He claimed that lack of the necessary facilities at the popular tourist spot was a failure on the part of the state government and railway ministry. “The government has to make available necessary facilities and ensure safe approach routes to the spot,” he said.
Hundreds of other sightseers were left stranded at the Kulem (Collem) station as railway officials refused to issue them tickets to Dudhsagar. When confronted by some irate tourists over the matter, the RPF personnel present maintained that the staff were just following orders from their superiors, sources said.
“Instead of working on some life safety measures that could be used at the site, the RPF are resorting to banning people from visiting Dudhsagar altogether,” a sightseer said while reacting to the RPF’s actions.
Dharbandora deputy collector Sagun Velip said the Goa police had no role to play in the matter and that action taken at the site was solely by the Indian Railways and the RPF.