Kuntala waterfall closed for visitors

Thousands of outstation tourists put to inconvenience

Kuntala waterfall in Adilabad district has been closed for visitors by the Forest Department without prior announcement putting thousands of outstation visitors to inconvenience.

The access to the scenic place was closed at Neredigonda mandal headquarters where NH-44 joins the internal 12 km road so as to prevent accidental deaths.

It may be recalled that a person had drowned in the waterfall on August 19. That was the first such incident in two successive seasons which had put the Forest Department in the spot.

According to officials, the waterfall was closed following non-cooperation from the Police Department in handling a large number of visitors, who have been thronging the place and putting their own lives at risk.

“The policemen who are deployed here refuse to climb down to the foot of the waterfall and prevent visitors from entering the swirling waters,” alleged a Forest official. After the drowning incident, visitors were allowed only till the view point on the hillock along the steps.

Even that access was restricted when hundreds of visitors forcibly climbed down the foot of the hills last Sunday while the Forest personnel looked on helplessly.

“The place will be closed indefinitely. We are concerned about the safety of the visitors,” observed another official as he tried to clear the doubts of the visitors.

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