This story is from August 1, 2019

Slushy paths on Satara's Kas plateau now paved with red bricks for safety

Mud bricks now line the most walked on paths on Satara's Kas plateau.
Slushy paths on Satara's Kas plateau now paved with red bricks for safety
The Kas Plateau's Executive Committee (KPEC) has laid the red bricks called 'chirachi dagad' in Marathi for tourists to walk on safely
KAS (DISTRICT SATARA): Mud bricks now line the most walked on paths on Satara's Kas plateau.
The Kas Plateau's Executive Committee (KPEC) has laid the red bricks called 'chirachi dagad' in Marathi for tourists to walk on safely. The paths are slushy after the rain and visitors often tend to skid and slip. The work will be completed in two phases by 2021.
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The plateau is a biodiversity hotspot known for its seasonal wild flowers and species of endemic butterflies.
On an average one lakh visitors come to see Kas's flowers every year in August and September.
Range forest officer R M Pardeshi of Medha forest range told TOI, "These pathways are being constructed as per the UNESCO norms. The committee has not used cement for the work. These bricks are installed on unpaved roads so that senior citizens and children will not fall at the spot."
"We identified the riskiest and most frequently used paths. Last year, over a 100 tourists, mostly senior citizens and children, fell. When there is no proper laid down path, and to avoid skidding, many tourists enter the main fields and trample upon the flowers. Hence, the mud brick tracks were laid," Somnath Jadhav, president of the committee, told TOI.

"The flowers will become extinct if we do not take enough care of the plateau. Visitors should not be allowed to walk into the fields. The committee's guards and forest department officials need to manage crowd effectively," Rajendra Shende, former director of UNEP and chairman of Technology Education Research Rehabilitation for Environment.
Online booking from August 10
The Kas Plateau Executive Committee (KPEC) will start online booking from August 10. "This booking will be only for September. We are planning to open the biodiversity hotspot for tourists on August 16. Tickets will be given at the site," Somnath Jadhav said.
Visitors can now park about 2km from the site and go to the plateau by buses arranged for backpackers. "Many tourists would park along the roadside which led to traffic congestion in the area. We have now earmarked a parking area," Jadhav added.
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