YouTuber's reels spur Rs 10 crore facelift for Pilavakkal Dam park in Western Ghats foothills
Officials said the park improvement works will include a new perimeter wall, entrance gate, walkway, children’s play area, open-air gym, and selfie points, as reported by Maalaimalar.
Local YouTuber Thangapandi (Instagram)
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order sanctioning Rs 10 crore to upgrade facilities at the park around the Pilavakkal Periyar Dam, located in the foothills of the Western Ghats, in Virudhunagar district, implementing an announcement made earlier by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Officials said the park improvement works will include a new perimeter wall, entrance gate, walkway, children’s play area, open-air gym, and selfie points, as reported by Maalaimalar.
Local YouTuber Thangapandi’s reels showcasing the dam’s scenic beauty went viral earlier this year, drawing scores of visitors to the small village. In a June Instagram video, he is seen swimming with a child in a clear river flanked by hills, proclaiming with pride: “From this side, does it not look like Kashmir, from that side, isn't it like Canada? There is no place in the world like my village.” In another reel posted a few weeks ago, with the hashtag "waterfallhike", he is seen swimming with a friend in what appears to be a natural pool. Addressing viewers, he says: “Have you ever seen water like this? It beats honey, and even sarbath. Even if you’ve failed in studies or have arrears in college, don’t worry. Come here, take a swim, and you’ll get the No 1 mark in Tamil Nadu.”
Meanwhile, a report in The Hindu in June said that tourists who thronged Koomapatti after the viral reels were left disappointed as the Forest and Water Resources Department officials barred entry into the Pilavakkal Periyar Dam park. The park was closed for several months after a few youths drowned in the dam, a local told the newspaper.
Koomapatti, in Kansapuram village under S Kodikulam Town Panchayat, is also dotted with paddy fields and waterbodies, many of which are dried up. However, much of the area falls under Reserve Forest, restricting access to outsiders, the report added.
