KOLHAPUR: The Kas plateau — a Unesco World Heritage Site — has been opened for public from Wednesday.
The flower festival will be on till October 15 and those planning to visit on the weekends will have to make prior online bookings. All necessary preparations have been completed and a team of over 100 local volunteers has been deployed on the plateau to manage the crowd of visitors.
Maruti Chikane, member of Kas Pathar working committee, said, “On Wednesday, the festival started — though it was affected last year due to Covid. The peak period start on September 1. Currently around 29 different species of flowers have bloomed in the area. A total of 3,000 visitors will be allowed in three batches — from 7am to 11am, 11am to 3pm and 3pm to 6pm.
He added, “On weekdays, on the spot tickets can be bought. Entry fee will be Rs 100 for every individual. Children below 5 years won’t be charged. This time, to avoid rush of senior citizens, we will be charging tickets for tthe senior citizens as well. The volunteers have been deployed to carry out parking, security, and ticketing activities and to implement Covid safety norms. Visitors will also have to follow all the rules while visiting the plateau.”
Nature lovers are excited with the plateau opening after two years. Sandip Jadhav, a photographer from Karad, said, “I will visit Kas plateau in the first week of September when the flowers are in full bloom. People should enjoy their visit to the plateau by following the safety norms and should keep the plateau clean and green.”
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