Jharkhand might be land-locked, but the natural beauty and the waterfalls make up for it.
One such display of the bounty is located on Kanchi river, the Dasam Falls. It would be rated an ‘A’ in terms of scenic pleasure, but the security arrangements are still not good enough to get a pass certificate. Thousands of tourists visit Dasam Falls every year, returning back disheartened, and some don’t even come back.
Dasam Falls have claimed more than 100 lives since 2000. The status of the roads joining the place is still pathetic. The gorge lying below the 144ft waterfall is considered a ‘pot of death.’ Two horrible deaths cases were reported in the past one year at the place. One of the holes is under the main stream and is infamous for powerful whirlpools generated here.
“The tender process to fill up the deep gorge has not been completed yet. Water level is low during April-May. So we might fill that hole during April next year. Widening of the roads leading to the falls is the purview of Department of Road Construction, not ours,” Sunil Kumar, Managing Director of Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) said.
The cases of clashes between locals and security personnel have also been reported and later settled but not before the villagers were engaged in Dasam Fall. At present, 20 people are working as security guards and 10 are employed to clean the tourist place. However, lack of eateries in the area and no alternate arrangements made from the Tourism Department are big hurdle for the nature lovers. Another major reason for accidents in the falls is the absence of proper barricading. And with the holiday season on a roll, arrangements are being planned to satisfy the customers. Alok Prasad, General Manager (JTDC Administration) said,
“Barricades are yet to be constructed near the deep areas of the falls. Some arrangements have been made to prevent the tourists from crossing the danger line. As for Christmas and New Year, our tourist bus is running on Saturday and Sunday and seats are getting filled up by advance bookings.” Failure to make the place safer for visitors is still a searching question nevertheless the plans to infuse air-conditioned bus and children’s park in the days to come.