VELLORE: The natural water falls in Sathuvachari has come alive and has started attracting people from across the district as well as a number of medical tourists in the city.
The water falls from a height of 150 feet at the Sathuvachari Fall and was a favourite haunt for tourists and locals in the days when the monsoon was more regular and water in greater abundance. With abundant rains in the last few days coupled with the district administration declaring a holiday for the schools on Tuesday because of the rains, the waterfalls drew a large number of students who had come along with their family members.
The Sathuvachari Falls is now receiving abundant water from the nearby Chenganatham Hills following more than adequate rains in the region.
“Water started pouring from the top of the hills following rains since the Diwali day,” recalled Shenbagam, a housewife who lives close to the hills. Some of the local youth have cleared the bushes and other weeds that were blocking the footsteps leading to the top portion of the falls recently, she added.
60-year old Natarajan, a beedi worker, a native of Sathuvachari said that he has frequented this waterfall since his younger days.
“Those days we used to receive rains every year and the waterfalls would be alive almost throughout the year. As the rains have failed in the past decade, the water falls had stopped,” he noted adding, “after nearly 12 years it has come alive.”
A number of children and adults were also seen jumping and playing in the water, enjoying the crystal clear water. Some families were also seen climbing the steps leading to the top portion of the hills to get closer to the water gushing from the rocks.
The Sathuvachari municipality constructed a series of platforms along the stream of the falls some 25 years ago. A dyke like structure was also constructed mid-way to tap water for a nearby tank in the shape of a cup-and-saucer for distribution to the locality that became a landmark for the town.
As the rains receded over a period of time, the cup-and-saucer tank was used to store water from other sources.
“I love waterfalls and I have visited Courtallam, Papanasam,” said Ravi, one of the visitors to the Falls, who is a college student, adding, “it is not that big but I love this because it is in my own town now.” He had brought his friends from other parts of the city to the waterfalls.
Women from the Nehru Nagar were seen drawing water for drinking purposes. Social activist R Chandrasekaran said that the waterfalls should be protected and should be maintained clean and tidy. The corporation should put up rails along the hill steps and ban plastics and littering.