16 hours ago
Amid summer rush, tourists irked over deteriorating infra at Ranchi waterfalls
Ranchi: With summer holidays at its peak and all popular tourist spots, especially Jharkhand's picturesque waterfalls, facing a massive rush of people from all corners, popular destinations like Hundru, Dassam, and Jonha are facing a crisis.
Basic public infrastructure at these sites, including benches, shade structures, toilets, and drinking water facilities, has fallen into state of disrepair, dampening the tourist experience and also raising safety concerns.
Visitors, arriving for a scenic and refreshing escape, are now met instead with broken seating, cracked concrete platforms, rusted railings, and defunct restrooms. For families with children and elderly visitors, the lack of clean and usable amenities has become a major deterrent.
A tourist from Bokaro, Priya Mandal, who visited Jonha Falls last week, said, "The benches were either broken or missing entirely. We had to stand or sit on the ground under the scorching sun. The toilets were so dirty, we couldn't use them. It was quite disheartening."
Local vendors who run food and souvenir stalls near the waterfalls echoed tourists' concerns. "Tourist inflow is good but everyone is returning with complaints.
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More people will visit if the government starts repair work on the facilities," said Ramesh Mahato, a tea stall operator at Dassam Falls.
Meanwhile, Shivendra Kumar, tourism nodal officer, Ranchi, confirmed that the issue has been officially addressed. "We have received detailed reports on the abysmal condition of public infrastructure at major waterfall sites. We've already forwarded a proposal for repair and restoration to the department," he added.
"Clearance is awaited. Once funds are sanctioned, we will immediately begin a phased restoration of benches, rest areas, toilets, and safety signage," Kumar said.
Tourist footfall has seen a noticeable uptick since the start of the summer break, with thousands thronging these spots each weekend. Yet, the influx has only worsened the visible neglect.
Another visitor from Dhurwa, Sangeeta Mishra, who visited the Hundru falls, said, "It was shocking to see the condition of the toilets.
There was no water, no cleanliness, and the odours were foul. We cut short our trip because the kids were feeling uneasy. It is hard to enjoy nature when basic hygiene is missing."
Many tourists have begun pressing for time-bound action. "We aren't asking for luxury, just clean toilets and safe seating. If Jharkhand wants to promote eco-tourism, these basics must be non-negotiable," said Ranchi-based entrepreneur Manish Singh, who recently visited Hundru Falls with friends.
