Tourist spots in the Nilgiris reopened on Monday to a flurry of tourists.
Rain continued to lash the region, for the third consecutive day, leading to low visibility along major roads, restricting tourist movement to newly-reopened tourist spots.
Popular tourist locations run by the Tourism Department, and those run by eco-development committees (EDCs), formed by the Forest Department, reopened, with protocols in place to control the spread of COVID-19. Locations such as the Ooty Lake and Boat House, Pykara Lake, Doddabetta Peak, Ninth Mile Shooting Spot and the Kodanad Viewpoint stayed open.
The Nilgiris Collector J. Innocent Divya inspected locations, including the Doddabetta Peak, on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Ms. Divya said that nine places run by EDCs too had reopened, including the ones in Gudalur, and urged tourists to wear masks at all times during their visits.
“Many people take off their masks to take photographs. We urge them to immediately put on their masks after taking pictures to control the spread of COVID-19,” said Ms. Divya.
There was a minor complication with the reopening of the Ooty Lake and Boat House, when shopkeepers at the Boat House got into an argument with officials, demanding a better place to put up shops. The police, who were called to the spot, said there were around 48 shops at the Boat House, and officials had marked out a portion of the area for the shops to be set up. Officials said that talks would be held over the next few days and a solution would be found. The Boat House was opened to tourists after 1 p.m.
