Avalabetta viewpoint near Bengaluru- disaster in waiting
Update: Vehicle entry is now banned at Avala Betta. You've to park near main road and trek 1.5-2 kms to reach hilltop. Not worth all the circus and effort- find some other hill to visit
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Nandi hills is so 1990. Avalabetta seems to be the new hill that is beckoning weekenders from Bengaluru like crazy. It is a small hill some 95 kms from Bengaluru closer to Andhra border.
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Nandi hills is so 1990. Avalabetta seems to be the new hill that is beckoning weekenders from Bengaluru like crazy. It is a small hill some 95 kms from Bengaluru closer to Andhra border.
Avalabetta has a temple, rocks and some views- but what is driving people crazy is a piece or rock that is protruding. It appears wafer thin but is strong enough to support a few people standing on it. Youngsters are going to this point like crazy to get their photos clicked on this cliff.
But though rock appears strong, it is brittle. A small crack developing in a corner can eventually result in a large piece getting separated. It is only a matter of time before this small piece of rock is abused by the youth flocking here and results in death of a few.
Besides rock giving away, other risks are stampede (too much crowd in a hurry to get clicked), strong winds and people losing grip and slipping off the cliff.
Besides rock giving away, other risks are stampede (too much crowd in a hurry to get clicked), strong winds and people losing grip and slipping off the cliff.
Of course it is very easy to ban entry altogether, but there could be safer alternatives- such as mandating that a harness be worn which can stay connected to a strong support in case person slips, or build a support platform 10 feet below- so that in case someone falls, he/she doesn’t have to vanish into deep valley below. Till then, proceed with caution.
Some more photos clicked from top of Avala betta 
A guest house building exists on top of Avalabetta, out of bounds for tourists. Roadside shops sell tender coconut, cucumber etc. Not much facilities available.
My god. That's dangerous. Thank you for alerting.
ReplyDeleteYes, hope precautions are taken before lives are lost
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why people don't have intelligence to enjoy nature as it is, it's when man keeps trying to add stuff which don't belong there is when you start adding new unwanted stuff- more human steps,noise, garbage until the entire place is ruined to the core
ReplyDeleteWhen I used to go on treks in west ghats ppl used to complain why no mobile signal,,no facility etcetc,only one answer-plz enjoy nature as it is ,so that future can also enjoy,not add man made structures around it
ReplyDeleteOMG I hate heights, Why there is no steel railing or fences?
ReplyDelete@Sudhanshu
ReplyDeleteThis place came to limelight only recently. I think authorities will take some time to react.
@The Wild- true
Hope the authorities take heed of your warning and do something before it is too late. In India disasters at gatherings, that too at places like these are not that uncommon. You have nicely captured the essence of the place.
ReplyDeleteThanks DPD. Hopefully safety measures are taken in time before people die
ReplyDeleteThe selfie disease + this precarious rock is surely a recipe for disaster. Adrenaline rush is one thing and acting stupid is another.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the alert. Hope the authorities restrict visitors for their own safety.
Hope the authorities take action.
ReplyDeleteSelfies have proved to be dangerous & can lead to disasters...
When we visited, there was a security guard near the spot.. but he seemed to have forgotten his actual duty and was least bothered about the security of the crowd.
ReplyDelete@Divsi, Anita and Ranjani- Thanks for your support. didn't know about security guards
ReplyDeleteHope the authorities take a note of it and do some express action...
ReplyDeleteLet us see.. they usually wake up after an accident.
ReplyDeleteHope people will be careful and nothing bad happens
The entry is banned now. I went on December 7 2016, no ban, went again on December 27 and they are saying its banned. The vehicles are not allowed to climb the hill as well. You can reach the top via trek but the viewpoint is banned. We went anyway,the viewpoint mesmerizes me every time.
ReplyDeleteAsked the locals as to why its banned and from when. An old man said some girl fell off the cliff, which is b.s. and entry banned since 2 months. I was like wtf I came on Dec 7 dude.
No one knows anything but they just want to build a story around it and spread rumors. Pathetic.
@Zvora Thanks for the update. Banning is the easiest thing to do for the authorities. Hope it reopens with adequate security measures.
ReplyDelete