“The thermometer is at 62 degrees Fahr., and it is mid-day. It never exceeds 72 degrees in the hottest weather, and sometimes falls below freezing point at night. The sky is spotless and the air calm. The fragrance of mignonettes, and a hundred flowers that recall England, fills the air. Green fields of grass and clover, neatly fenced, surround a comfortable house and grounds. Well-fed cattle of the choicest breeds, and English sheep, are grazing in the paddocks. Well-made roads and gravel walks run through the estate. But a few years past, and this was all wilderness.
Dense forest reigned where now not even the stump of a tree is standing; the wind howled over hill and valley, the dank moss hung from the scathed branches, the deep morass filled the hollows; but all is changed by the hand of civilisation and industry. The dense forests and rough plains, which still form the boundaries of the cultivated land, only add to the beauty. The monkeys and parrots are even now chattering among the branches, and occasionally the elephant in his nightly wanderings trespasses upon the fields, unconscious of the oasis within his territory of savage nature.
The still, starlight night is awakened by the harsh bark of the elk; the lofty mountains, grey with the silvery moonlight, echo back the sound; and the wakeful hounds answer the well-known cry by a prolonged and savage yell.
Fashionable months
This is ‘Newera Ellia,’ the sanatorium of Ceylon, the most perfect climate of the world. It now boasts of a handsome church, a public reading-room, a large hotel, the barracks, and about twenty private residences.” - Sir Samuel White Baker, Rifle and Hound in Ceylon.
When Samuel White Baker, a hunter and bon vivant, wandered into the moon plains of below the Pidurutalagala mountain in pursuit of an elk he had in his rifle sight, somewhere in the mid eighteen hundreds, little could he have guessed that the small town he helped to found would; one day, about 175 years later, be asking motorists not to perambulate more than twice around the town for fear of causing a traffic jam.
As thousands of seasonal tourists pour into Nuwara Eliya this weekend, Sunday Observer´s Cityscapes team today writes of what’s in store for the visitors, how and where they can amuse themselves, what fruits to eat, what vegetables to buy. Writing in Rifle and Hound, Sir Samuel describes, how, even then, Nuwara Eliya was the place to be during the “fashionable months.”
“Newera Ellia has always been a favourite place of resort during the fashionable months, from the commencement of January to the middle of May. At that time the rainy season commences, and visitors rapidly disappear,” he wrote.
And as much as today´s visitors, those during Sir Samuel´s time had issues with accommodation. “All strangers remark the scanty accommodation afforded to the numerous visitors. To see the number of people riding and walking round the Newera Ellia plain, it appears a marvel how they can be housed in the few dwellings that exist.
Two million visitors
There is an endless supply of fine timber in the forests, and powerful sawmills are already erected; but the island is, like its soil, ‘poor.’ Its main staple, ‘coffee,’ does not pay sufficiently to enable the proprietors of estates to indulge in the luxury of a house at Newera Ellia. Like many watering-places in England, it is overcrowded at one season and deserted at another, the only permanent residents being comprised in the commandant, the officer in command of the detachment of troops, the government agent, the doctor, the clergyman, and our own family,” He wrote.
And as we go into the “fashionable” week, when the authorities in Nuwara Eliya expect the town to over flow with more than two million visitors, ten per cent of the population of the country pouring into a town less than one eighth the size of Colombo, weather is forecasted not be above 22 centigrade and not below 9 centigrade, while in the capital, Kite- Sri Jayewardenepura, temperatures will go above 33 centigrade and not fall below 25 centigrade.
“We had a crowd of 1.6 million during the last season however, this year we expect a crowd of over two million,” says the commissioner of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council Ruwan Ratnayake.
With experiences gained during past years, this year’s season will see most events held outside of the city, with prominence given to preserving the city´s beauty and nature while protecting the environment.
“Special awareness programs have been conducted educating people residing in Nuwara Eliya as well as visitors for the season about littering.
The slogan of the central province is ‘parisaraya pujaneeyayi’ (environment is sacred) and we will be pushing and highlighting the green concept throughout. We have decentralized the stalls and carnivals so that the town will not get congested.” The commissioner explained.
Regulations on renting out rooms
As the sun sinks behind the adjoining mountain range, Kumaran is still busy mending the pipelines that will carry hot water from the tank above his roof to the newly built tiny room below. The more amenities with which you can provide a room for, better prices could be quoted and in Nuwara Eliya availability of hot water was far more important than the size of the room.
With the quickly growing tourism industry where hotels within city limits are limited by the number of stories, small families living close to the city have opted to renting out rooms for travelers and visitors.
On the side of Kumaran’s house that is half built and not color washed, a board hangs on a brick wall, indicating that rooms are available.
“It is during this time that rooms are most in demand. Rooms vary from two thousand rupees per night to about five thousand depending on the services and facilities that you can provide,” Kumaran said.
Two blocks away from Kumaran’s house, another building is under construction. A two storied building with long window panels, sub divided rooms and what looks like a back packers lodge is rushing up the construction work, which continues to the late night, despite the inconvenience caused to the neighboring houses.
“During the season people are of the view that they can make a quick buck if they build buildings to accommodate visitors. Within the city, we only have 750 star class rooms. That is equivalent to one hotel in Colombo. What we need is quality hotels.” Says the former Mayor of Nuwara Eliya Mahinda Dodampegamage.
Kumaran says there are many who can afford the rooms only at the rates they give out. “Not everyone can afford to stay over in big hotels and most of the hotels are fully booked by the first week of April. So the customers that come to us are either who can afford only our prices or when they are unable to find a place in time.”
The commissioner of the Municipal Council R. Ratnayake says that it has taken precautions to limit constructions that can harm the façade of the city and to bring in regulations to ensure that construction of buildings and houses are regulated to preserve the nature.
“We don’t allow blocking out land that is less than 10 perches. Further constructions of high-rise buildings are not permitted as well. The most we allow is till four levels but it should never pass 1900-meter level,” the Commissioner said.
Parking slots for visitors
One of the main factors contributing to congested roads and frustrated drivers in season´s past had been lack of parking space.
According to the former Mayor Mahinda Dodampegamage, at least 3000 vehicle parking spots are needed for the season.
This season, the former Mayor said, the authorities have managed to provide required parking areas in several identified places. “During the season congestion in the town area is inevitable. We have experienced this even last year. It would take person hours to exit the city area.
This year all main attractions are situated around Gregory’s lake and we now have a parking area in close proximity to the Lake that can accommodate around 400 vehicles.
Another standby car park at the turf can accommodate another 500 vehicles. The carnival and the theme park will be near the lake this time.” Dodampegamage said.
City ready to meet traffic flow
Nuwara Eliya during the season is synonymous with the long traffic jams, rowdy groups of youth and littered streets. Nevertheless, despite the chaos of previous years Nuwara Eliya this time around appears to have become organized. With constant improvements and planning, this year’s festivities are visibly well thought out as detailed city plans, traffic plans as well as security plans have now been implemented in preparation for the holidays.
With around 30, 000 vehicles entering Nuwara Eliya in 2016 during the month of April travellers to the town had to face severe traffic congestions stretching miles with waits lasting up to over one hour, an experience which clearly dampened their holiday plans.
Residents of the town also suffered due to the traffic say 47-year-old Three Wheeler driver Shantha Kumara. Operating in the Nuwara Eliya town Shantha says the traffic delays resulted in having to charge higher fare rates, which can left passengers disgruntled. ¨At times we were not able to reach the destination while other times a hire of a mere two kilometres ended in us having to travel around seven kilometres due to new road plans¨ he says.
However according to Nuwara Eliya Police Division SP Mahinda Dissanayaka, on observation insufficient parking spaces was found to be the main cause of the long traffic jams experienced during April. ¨The issue have now been resolved by the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council¨ he says adding that 11 new parking lots have been created by the local government authorities in preparation for the April season.
With parking facilities now in place, the Police while expecting the traffic congestion to reduce say they will also strictly enforce motor traffic laws during the time. According to SP Dissanayaka motorists will not be allowed to park in areas clearly marked with no parking signs and will be directed to designated parking areas. ¨While insufficient parking was a main issue, parking in areas not allowed also contributed to the traffic experienced last year¨ he says. The Police officers on duty are therefore are expected to impose strict penalties and take necessary action against offenders to avoid any inconvenience caused to other members of the public.
Another observation although perhaps perplexing to some was the traffic being caused by vehicles that continuously wander around the roads in Nuwara Eliya without the passenger ever alighting from them. ¨Some like to sightsee while driving around in the vehicle, which adds to the traffic situation¨, says SP Disanayaka adding that these people appear to enjoy the traffic congestion. According to him officers have been asked to watch out for such vehicles and issue warnings if they are seen travelling along the same routes for over three times.
While reasons for the traffic have been identified, likewise the Police have put into place a detailed traffic plans to avoid the chaos of previous years. While four roadblocks have been set up along the four main roads leading up to the town, officers of at the roadblocks will dispense information leaflets to motorists which will include information on parking spaces, road plans, security as well as the protection of environment.
With over 800 officers being deployed on traffic duty, various special road plans have also been put in place.
¨The roads around Lake Gregory where the festivities are cantered around have been made one way in two directions¨ SP Disanayaka says explaining that it was done to avoid the traffic usually caused in the area. Meanwhile he also clarified that certain roads have been made one way to better manage traffic.
According to SP Dissanayaka a special road plan will also take place on April 23 when the seasonal motor race takes place.
¨We are somewhat apprehensive about the race due to the accident last year as a female police officer still remains crippled from the incident, but we cannot object to the requests of the people¨ Disanayaka said adding that however the dates were pushed back to avoid the peak holiday dates during the month to better safeguard the people.
Police are also expected to increase drunken driving detections during the time due to a visible increase in drunken driving seen in previous years in the month of April while action will also be taken against those found drinking in public spaces.
¨Youth get drunk or take drugs and harass as well as at times sexually harass women¨ SP Dissanayaka says adding that special watch teams have been deployed to nab such individuals. According to him, these issues have been common before but strict action will be taken against offenders this time around.
Meanwhile security too is expected to be heightened during the time with SP Dissanayaka pointing out that various criminals visit the town during April targeting travellers and holidaymakers.
¨During the time we see a rise in thefts, fraudsters, prostitutes and beggars¨ he says adding that theft of vehicle parts along with pickpocketing are the most common crimes during the time.
According to him, gold jewellery snatchers too are common. ¨We request the public to be more wise and refrain from wearing such valuable items while on holiday,” he says. According to SP Disanayaka, mobile patrolling will also take place in the night to ensure the safety of locals and visitors to the area.
Though known as a holidaymaker’s paradise however, SP Disanayaka points out that many tend to forget that Nuwara Eliya is a town, which has its own residents. ¨Visitors therefore should be mindful and sensitive to the residents¨ he says adding that day-to-day lives or residents should not be disrupted.
While saying that the townsfolk and ensuring the normalcy of their lives is one of the main priorities of the Police SP Disanayaka stressed that therefore laws will be strictly enforced in order to be fair by the residents of Nuwara Eliya at all times.
Focus on a greener city : No littering
Police personnel with a green jacket on top their usual uniform, indicating they are there to prevent littering and protect the environment, will be patrolling at every hundred-meter interval, educating residents and visitors in town of the need to protect and sustain nature. The theme/slogan of this season will be ‘obey kasala oba geniyanna, nathinam apita denna.’ (Take litter with you else leave it with us). Garbage bags will be handed over to families that enter the parks so that they could gather litter into it and leave it at one of the garbage points at exit.
“Daily collection of litter is on an average day is only 25 tons, however during the season we expect that this will rise in double and we expect a daily collection of at least 50 tons. In addition, as usual, majority of this is polythene and plastic and we try to minimize this by discouraging its use from the beginning.
We have further requested the Traders’ Association to minimize the use of polythene and Styrofoam for serving food items. They are encouraged to use cardboard boxes instead.” Commissioner Ratnayake said.
“In previous our experience has been that once the activities are concluded for the day the city looks equivalent to a garbage dump the next morning. We have ensured that it will not reoccur this year.” Traders and stall owners have been strictly advised to ensure that all means possible should be taken to avoid or minimize the use of plastics and polythene. Garbage segregation is advised before disposal to assist collection methodically. The Commissioner explaining that everyone must take the responsibility in maintaining the cleanliness said that; “In as much as we try imposing regulations on businesses in the area we request the people as they have a greater responsibility and we urge the visitors to make sure that they leave Nuwara Eliya in the clean condition that they arrived at.”
Police officers educate children on keeping the environment clean
Less demand for local produce : Imported fruits flood the market
On a bend up the Nuwara Eliya - Kandy road, 28-year-old S. Kumari, used to sell a variety of locally grown vegetables from a roadside stall for the past 10 years. This year, strict regulations imposed by the Municipal Council has prevented her from putting up her stall. Today, while Kumari continue to sell vegetables on the wayside, exposed to the sun and other vagrancies, she throws away at least two bags of spoilt vegetables at the end of the day. ¨It is a loss when I have to throw but it cannot be helped¨ she says.
According to Kumari, she purchases vegetables from the Economic Centre in Nuwara Eliya and sells keeping just a Ten-rupee profit margin for herself.
One kilo of carrot can be purchased from the way side for 110 rupees which is around 90 rupees cheaper than Colombo, while many other vegetable prices hover around the same range for one kilo up from just Rupees 70. At Kumari´s wayside stall, one kilo of beans costs 130 Rupees, which can prove to be quite a bargain for visitors.
Prices of beans, radishes and Kohlrabi have reduced during the season due to excess crop production she says, adding that the mist and foggy weather too has affected vegetable prices due to colour changes caused to the vegetables by the weather conditions.
While Kumari is hopeful that business will pick up during the season she believes business would have been better if she was allowed to keep her stall. Though roadside stalls such as Kumaris can have its own pros and cons perhaps, visitors should if possible grace wayside stalls in a bid to support the local economy.
With the region, mainly focusing on crop cultivation in the absence of other new avenues to many like Kumari this is their only mode of survival. Meanwhile, the fruit market of Nuwara Eliya is vibrant and colourful. Among the more common and readily available fruits such as apples, oranges, pears which are all imported one can easily spot fruits that look more exotic and perhaps never seen by people in coastal areas of the island.
However, among the large amounts of imported fruits, the local fruits too can be spotted despite being rare. Sadly as years pass by many local fruit varieties, appear to be dwindling in numbers and vanishing from the fruit stalls unable to compete with cheaper prices of imported Chinese and Pakistani fruit.
In the past hill country farmers cultivated local peaches, pears, apples and even oranges. However, with time, according to experts, farmers moved away from fruit cultivation to a much profitable cultivation of potatoes in the 1950´s due to harvest losses and land issues.
According to fruit sellers such as D.B Samson Silva stores in Nuwara Eliya peaches, apples, sweet passion fruit, loquats are today generally home-grown and find their way to the fruit stalls in very small numbers each year.
Despite the region being home to unique varieties of fruit, many are still not commercially grown as they continue to be commercially unviable as a result of their inability to compete with cheaper imported varieties.
While Apples that grow in Ragala are well known according to one seller, they only receive around 200 apples per month during season. Instead imported Apples from China and Pakistan are readily available and are much cheaper which leaves the famous locally grown apples forgotten. The same rings true regarding other varieties as well.
With locally grown up country fruits becoming a rare sight perhaps a visit to the fruit market in Nuwara Eliya is a must this season to sample these fruits that may not be available in years to come.
Cityscapes Team: Anurangi Singh , Maneshka Borham Photos by Rukmal Gamage