Free entry for tourists at Kodaikanal forest sites till May 31

Kodaikanal: The Dindigul district administration on Monday announced free entry to tourists to all prominent attractions under the control of the Forest Department until May 31, providing major relief for all those travelling to the popular hill station of Kodaikanal.

Announcing the waiver, Dindigul District Collector S Saravanan said that the temporary free-access directive will apply to major ecological and tourist hotspots, including Pillar Rock, Guna Caves, the Pine Forest, and Moir Point.

A massive surge in summer tourist footfall coupled with the newly implemented QR-code digital ticketing system had triggered endless bottlenecks on the single-lane routes leading up to these destinations, according to official sources.

Following public dissatisfaction and a directive from the state government to streamline vehicular movement, the district administration decided to suspend the collection and verification of all entry fees for the remainder of the month.

This led to major public dissatisfaction after which the state government issued a directive to streamline vehicular movement. Following this the district administration decided to suspend the collection and verification of all entry fees for the remainder of the month.

The administration expects this intervention to dramatically reduce waiting times at forest checkpoints and ensure smooth traffic flow across the hill station.

The announcement has been widely welcomed by tourists, local tour operators, and vehicle drivers who had been struggling with hours of traffic delays during their transit.

(With PTI inputs)