From correspondents in India, 08:46 AM IST

Mussoorie (Uttaranchal) - It is a breathtaking waterfall amid picturesque hilly surroundings, a must see for visitors and in fact a great tourist draw, but scores of food stalls are eroding the beauty of Kempty Falls, making it a dumping ground for their waste.

Once an abode of tranquillity, the falls, located 15 km from Mussoorie, are polluted with plastic bags, bottles, paper scraps, food residues and litter from restaurants and shops around it. Tourists complain that government negligence and the greed of shopkeepers are degrading nature's wonder.

'This is in a very bad shape compared to what it was three years ago. The shops are using it as a wash basin and they do not hesitate to throw waste in the water,' said Dilbagh Singh, who drove from Ambala to Mussoorie with his son and wife. 'Earlier, we used to come to Kempty to relax and rejuvenate our minds. This time the foul smell is forcing tourists like us to stay away,' Singh told IANS.

The biggest and prettiest of waterfalls in the valley, Kempty Falls sees water cascading down from an altitude of 4,500 feet. The water splits into five small streams, offering a never-to-be-forgotten enchanting view.

People come to Kempty Falls from Mussoorie and afar to take a dip in the pond at the foot of the waterfall, which has provided locales for Bollywood movies and TV commercials.

Rajeev Ahuja, a tourist from New Delhi, complained that the fall was losing its charm.

'With no proper arrangement for the disposal of waste, it increasingly becoming a dumping ground for these shops,' said Ahuja.

The walls and roofs of many shops sport huge advertisements for Coke and Pepsi. Some enterprising traders dip cold drink bottles in the lake below the falls to chill them.

The locals said the lack of beautification plan for the site was responsible for the state of affairs.

'Authorities should develop a park and ensure greenery around it so that the scenic beauty of the place is maintained,' said Rajesh Gosain, who called himself a nature lover.

'The beautification will draw more tourists and bring in more revenue to the state.

'There should also be a ban on construction of more shops. The existing ones should be shifted away. No commercial establishment should be allowed within 200 meters from the site,' Gosain suggested.

There are two other waterfalls near Mussoorie - Mossey Falls six kilometres away and Bhatta Falls 12 km away. But it is Kempty that attracts maximum crowds.

Like many others, Gosain feared that if the encroachment of land around the waterfall continued, tourists would simply stop visiting the site.

The shopkeepers of course differ.

'There is hardly any other means of income for us. Mussoorie's society is tourist-driven and everything here is for tourists,' said one of them who did not want to be identified by name. 'We are providing not only food and drinks but also private changing rooms for men and women. We are not guilty.'

(Staff Writer, © IANS)