Since the Kaas Flower Festival near Satara is in full swing, a large number of tourists have been flocking to Kaas for the last 2-3 days, especially due to the continuous holiday period, including Saturday and Sunday. By the afternoon, the Kaas committee was virtually exhausted. Those arriving later in the day were informed that the booking systems had been shut down and that entry to the plateau was no longer allowed.
Typically, around three thousand people book online to witness the picturesque heavenly view of the flower festival on Kaas Plateau, while more than five thousand tourists arrived without prior booking. Over the past 2-3 days, more than ten thousand tourists visited each day, causing the usual traffic congestion. As a result, the committee stopped offline bookings after noon, and since the parking lots were full, many tourists parked their vehicles along the roadside and walked to the plateau. This led to traffic jams, with long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road.
Kaas Plateau (Pathar) : The Valley of Flowers in Maharashtra
Kaas Plateau or Kaas Pathar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Satara, is a biodiversity hotspot known for its seasonal wildflowers and endemic butterflies. pic.twitter.com/9Orqlxg4lY
— (@Krishnavallabhi) September 22, 2024
The Kaas committee had initiated maintenance work on the plateau along with crowd control measures, but the system was overwhelmed by the sheer number of visitors. Currently, numerous flower carpets have bloomed across the Kaas Plateau, and these carpets are expected to remain for several more days. As a result, a large number of tourists are not only visiting on weekends but also during weekdays by taking leave from work. Nature lovers have expressed concerns that if tourists continue to flood the plateau, its beauty may be compromised.
Since access to Kaas Plateau is granted from only one entry point, crowds tend to gather in one place. To address this, it has been suggested that residents of surrounding villages use alternative routes on Saturdays and Sundays to reduce congestion. The administration needs to raise awareness and implement measures to manage the crowds more effectively.
There is an entry fee of Rs 150 per person to visit Kaas Plateau. However, over the last 2-3 days, it has been reported that many people took advantage of the crowds to enter the plateau for free, bypassing the system by either blending into the crowd or using connections. Many tourists also managed to visit the temple without paying the entry fee.
