There’s an entry and parking fee of `75 levied on any non-local vehicle entering Mamallapuram town by the panchayat. But where are the parking lots?
The only lots are near the shore temple that can hold around 200 cars. And, there’s a parking charge of `30 per car. On weekends and holidays, 750 to 1,000 private vehicles are parked on both sides of the town’s narrow streets clogging them.
“It took me 40 minutes to get out of the town from the parking lot because of the cars parked on the roads,” rued Priya B from Chennai who went to visit the monuments last Saturday. But Priya will struggle if she decides to take a bus to Mamallapuram too. There’s no depot and the bus stand can hold just ten buses.
And don’t bother looking for public loos. The four pay-and-use public mobile toilets are generally locked. “Tourists use toilets inside restaurants or other private establishments,” said Balan K, a tourism operator.
According to the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), there should be one public toilet for 100 males, and two for 100 females.
There is no piped water supply in the town either. People depend on groundwater. “When the tourist flow rises, water dries up. We want piped supply from the Palar river or Nemmeli desalination plant for the floating population,” said Valarmathi, a local resident.
Another issue that plagues the town is the lack of health services. While there is a hospital, it can only provide outpatient care and minor first aid and its shuts by 8pm. The nearest functioning hospital is the Chengalpet government hospital, 28km away.
Narcotic drugs are another problem. “Many restaurants sell drugs and there is hardly any police action,” said Balan. The Mamallapuram inspector said that the police have dealt with 40 ganja cases this year.
“I want to shift from Mamallapuram to Chennai because I am afraid my
underage son has is getting addicted
to drugs because of bad company,” said a local.
The only lots are near the shore temple that can hold around 200 cars. And, there’s a parking charge of `30 per car. On weekends and holidays, 750 to 1,000 private vehicles are parked on both sides of the town’s narrow streets clogging them.
“It took me 40 minutes to get out of the town from the parking lot because of the cars parked on the roads,” rued Priya B from Chennai who went to visit the monuments last Saturday. But Priya will struggle if she decides to take a bus to Mamallapuram too. There’s no depot and the bus stand can hold just ten buses.
And don’t bother looking for public loos. The four pay-and-use public mobile toilets are generally locked. “Tourists use toilets inside restaurants or other private establishments,” said Balan K, a tourism operator.
According to the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), there should be one public toilet for 100 males, and two for 100 females.
There is no piped water supply in the town either. People depend on groundwater. “When the tourist flow rises, water dries up. We want piped supply from the Palar river or Nemmeli desalination plant for the floating population,” said Valarmathi, a local resident.
Another issue that plagues the town is the lack of health services. While there is a hospital, it can only provide outpatient care and minor first aid and its shuts by 8pm. The nearest functioning hospital is the Chengalpet government hospital, 28km away.
Narcotic drugs are another problem. “Many restaurants sell drugs and there is hardly any police action,” said Balan. The Mamallapuram inspector said that the police have dealt with 40 ganja cases this year.
“I want to shift from Mamallapuram to Chennai because I am afraid my
underage son has is getting addicted
to drugs because of bad company,” said a local.
