Journalism of Courage
Footfalls in Lonavala,known for its hills,waterfalls and greenery and a rush of tourists during the rains,are going down.
One of the main reasons being attributed to the dip in tourists is the increasing crime graph. The hill station has been in news recently for incidents like murder of the municipal council chief,a rave party by students and customs officials getting caught with bar girls.
This,coupled with delayed rains has brought the tourism industry at Lonavala to a grinding halt this season. The tourist spot wear a deserted look,as owners of small shops blame the administration for the situation.
I dont know what to blame,the crime or the delayed rains,for tourists keeping away this time. Earlier,by June,we hardly had any time for lunch and used to work in shifts because of the rush. This time there are hardly any tourists, says Maruti Ram Sathi,a tea stall owner at Lions Point.
And for the few who visit,the topic of discussion is the sensational murder of municipal council chief,Bhupendra Hiralal Chandhari. It is the most talked about and most queried issue among the tourists,says Sathis brother. Udayrao Shirke,a visitor,says,I am here with friends but our families are not here. Rising crime is definitely a reason,though no tourist has been targeted so far, he said.
Police inspector,Balraj Lanjile,admitted that the rising crime has definitely marred the image of Lonavala and adversely affected tourism. But that was for a short while. We have now succeeded in restoring peace and have won the confidence of the locals at least, he claimed.
However,figures tell a different story. While 2008 witnessed four murders, 2009 has seen seven murders so far. One dacoity was reported in 2008,and the figure was two till May 31 this year. There was a riot case last year,14 fatal accidents this year and 20 fatal accidents last year. Rape cases were also reported.
H C Kadam of Lonavala police says statistics do not tell the whole truth. If a murder is committed,its registered here even if people involved do not belong to the city. This puts Lonavala in bad light, he says.
