Puliancholai re-opened for visitors – The Hindu

With water flow in the Ayyaru, a jungle stream, at Puliancholai at the foot of the Kollimalai in Tiruchi district coming down after some heavy rain flows from the hills last week, the Forest Department has reopened the picnic spot for visitors from Sunday.

Although Puliancholai remains a popular picnic destination for people of Tiruchi and neighbouring districts, it lacks basic amenities.

Situated at 70 km from Tiruchi, Puliancholai is known for its scenic beauty. The water flowing downstream offers a natural bathing area amidst verdant surroundings, attracting a large number of picnickers on weekends and holidays.

Although the Pachaperumalpatti panchayat collects an entry-cum-parking fee for vehicles and the Forest Department levies a separate entry fee at the spot, there has been no attempt to improve basic amenities at the spot.

One has to trek along the stream for some distance on the hills to choose a spot to take a dip. Access to the upper reaches of the stream remains difficult given the rugged terrain which is full of rocks and stones. Even the approach road to the entry point of the stream has not been paved.

Most visitors, however, are largely disappointed with the absence of basic amenities here. The place needs some minimum basic amenities such as clean toilets, drinking water supply and change rooms near the bathing points for visitors to safely change their clothes after bathing.

At present, people have to trek down beyond the entry fee collection point to change their wet clothes now. “Toilets and cloakrooms need to be provided near the bathing spots. In their absence, men and women are forced to take cover behind trees or rocks to change,” said N. Saravanan of Thuraiyur, who visited the spot on Sunday.

A children’s park near the entry point has been lying in a shambles, with broken play equipment and wild growth, for long. For picnickers carrying food, it is a challenge to keep the monkeys at bay and eat in the open. Proposals to improve basic amenities both at Puliancholai remain on paper over the past few years.