Rains end many a honeymoon dream

With the northeast monsoon wreaking havoc across Tamil Nadu, even honeymooners in the scenic hill resort of Kodaikanal were not spared. In the wee hours of Tuesday when roads caved in and the Kodaikanal-Batlagundu stretch was badly damaged at around 12 places, it abruptly ended many romantic dreams. Couples who suffered most were those from outside Tamil Nadu. While a few remained in their hotel rooms, there were many who just turned back, unable to take the drive uphill.

Although the highways department recently reopened the Palani-Kodaikanal road, an alternative route to Kodaikanal via Batlagundu, it was also closed down due to several landslips on the stretch three days ago. "We came here on Monday, and we were supposed to proceed to Madurai. Since the road is blocked, we are held up here," said Sudeep Sharma and Meghna, a newlywed couple from Pune.
Hotel managers say they get only newlywed couples during off-seasons, as honeymoon is not seasonal. But with the monsoons playing havoc and affecting business, hoteliers are also a worried lot these days. "Tourism is badly affected. And, adding to our troubles, are the recent landslips. Since it is off-season, we can somehow manage the situation. But still, it is a problem if tourists are stuck. I sent a couple to Dindigul in a cab on Wednesday morning but they reached only in the afternoon," said the manager of a government-run hotel in Kodaikanal.
However, many couples like Sudeep Sharma and Meghna preferred to remain in their hotels than take a chance on the roads. "They have been telling us that the traffic has been restored, but still we don't want to take the risk of getting stuck on the roads. There is no point in getting into traffic blocks," they said.
Although the highways department works round-the-clock with earth-removers, the heavy rains played spoilsport during the road re-laying works at many places. "Unlike the Palani-Kodaikanal road, the Batlagundu road is not completely blocked. Traffic has been permitted one way in places where landslips occurred. The traffic is under control now," said Dindigul SP D Dinakaran. However, a PWD official on condition of anonymity said of late there have been major problems due to landslips along roads to Kodaikanal. "We have somehow managed to restore the traffic but it all depends on the rains. If it rains tonight, then there may be serious problems on the stretch," he said.