Dirty Dudhsagar: A beauty disfigured

Dirty Dudhsagar: A beauty disfigured Paul Fernandes & Suraj P Kaisuvkar, TNN | Aug 26, 2012, 02.46AM IST DUDHSAGAR, COLEM: If James Bond had jumped out of the train here, the streak of ugly plastic litter on the hillside would have surely distracted him from the 'sea of milk' cascading down the hill into the pool below. While the shooting of the 23rd movie featuring the fictional spy was shifted to South Africa as talks by its producers with Indian authorities apparently failed due to some reasons, including exacting requirements, Goa's world famous waterfall with its mystic charm, missed a chance to leap further into glory at the global level. Hundreds of visitors arrive here by train to soak in the charm of the misty waterfall during the monsoon. They crowd the spaces under the gushing flow and along the track, and leave behind a sea of litter. Small heaps of sachets, food packets, pet bottles and other waste is choking the hillside and much of it has been lying there for a long time. Part of the waste is flung out from the train as it chugs along the ledge on the shoulder of the craggy hill and some of it by picknickers, reaching the lower reaches of the waterfall during the October-May season. The place may have been thoroughly cleaned up if the James Bond action sequence was shot here against the backdrop of the waterfall, known popularly as 'sea of milk', cascading down dream-like from the crest of the Sahyadris. But right now, the pristine environment, deep in the lap of one of the global biodiversity hotspots, is being devastated by wanton littering. "The plastic waste is marring one of Goa's most beautiful landscapes," says Sai Abhishek, a tourist from Mumbai. The authorities have not rightly allowed any vendors at the site to prevent litter, but the damage is being done anyway. "There are no dust bins in the area and the scene is very bad," Abshishek said. Shooting one of India's highest waterfalls to satiate his passion for photography, he found the trash often zooming into the viewfinder. The train halts at the small Dudhsagar station every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. "Last Sunday, there were hundreds of visitors here," says Dattaraj Khandeparker, a local guide. No facilities are available here and picknickers bring their own food and water. "The waste creates aesthetic pollution, but to talk about the toxic harm it causes, would depend on the types of substances inside the plastic," Nandkumar Kamat, a botanist said. Kamat, who is also a member of the state wildlife advisory board, said he had raised the issue of pollution of Dudhsagar last year at the board meeting. But no action has been initiated in the matter, he said. Though the litter within range may be cleared up, the plastic rotting unseen beyond the bushes may prove harmful in the long term. "Lots of it is lying on slopes," Tukaram Parwar, a local guide, said. The panchayat has no role to play as the area is not easily accessible. "There is a problem, but forest department should tackle it, as they are doing it at the bottom of the waterfall," Ramesh Khandeparker, deputy sarpanch of Colem panchayat, said. The bottom tier of the waterfall is accessible only during fair weather. Visitors hire jeeps from Colem village to drive through thick forests and cross a stream to reach there. One of the main attraction is the crystal clear water in the pool. "We are checking the visitors at the entry point for plastic," Richard D'Souza, additional principal chief conservator, said. The department is also planning to impose fines on offenders from October, 2012. The second tier above, along the railway track, is an unmanned area. It is accessible around the year by train, but visitors cannot scale down the hill to the pool due to the steep gradient. "The railway workers carry out periodic cleaning, but they are understaffed," a source said. Villagers want the government to tidy up the place and provide some infrastructure. "Maybe, a few facilities should be provided and some signboards put up at the site," the deputy sarpanch said. "We are exposing the beauty of Goa and works of God to visitors. At the same time, we must protect it," said Ralph de Sousa, spokesperson for the Travel and tourism association of Goa, an apex body of tourism stakeholders in the state. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Dirty-Dudhsagar-A-beauty-disfigured/articleshow/15716709.cms