Chunchi Falls with no water

I expected to have a similar experience I had the last time I visited this falls, but never knew there was a new DAM built to stop the water before the water falls. It was a trip planned in the night by myself and pradeep and started driving early morning at 4. Pradeep picked me up at 4am and we were on Kanakpura Road very early, By 6 we reached Kanakapura and had our breakfast. The falls is around 20 kms from Kanakapura. We reached the water falls and I was surprised to see there was no water even after so much of rains. I am adding a couple of pictures I had taken around 4 years back when there was no dam in place. Felt Gangan chukki and Bharachukki had been a better option, but then those places are badly overcrowded and badly littered. That's the reason I avoid such places. 

We went down the falls and spent some time sitting in front of the tiny waterfalls there. It was a pleasant morning. This is my usual trend to visit places around Bangalore, start very early and back home by afternoon. After taking some pics and lying down on the huge rocks we decided to explore the river a bit more. Last time around, the river was so furious that I could not explore anything around the area. We started walking along the river bed to see a watch tower. The view from the watch tower is spectacular, it gives a good view of the entire valley.

While we were taking pics from the watch tower we saw a small local boy taking a couple of others to another falls which we had seen from far and we had decided to explore later. Once they were back we went towards the falls and was pretty happy at least there was some water in this. At Least it was better than the first where in there was no water at all. 

To be frank the first impression that came to my mind watching this bad scene around was that it looked like an organised crime. First build a dam to dry up the river along the entire stretch and then mine the rocks and sand on the river bed. Which we did see around happening actually. Not to mention there is a private water plant which supplies drinking water bottles to Bangalore next to the Dam. Most of these things I mentioned looked to be under one person who is a big political figure. Now we know how it works build a Dam in taxpayers money divert the stored water to water plant and then sell it to the same people with a price attached. At least for me looking at the dry river bed during peak monsoon was just unacceptable.

 

Even though didn't enjoy the waterfalls much as it's one of those very rare occasion where in I didn't go below the falls and also the dry river bed, enjoyed the early morning drive after a long time. We were a bit lucky that the Dam gates didn't open. Later in the village nearby we were told by the locals that authorities had given warning to the villagers not to venture near the falls as they would be opening the gates anytime. Was just thinking about a youtube video which I had seen last year how quick one would get washed away once the Dam gates are open. Just a lucky day :-). Its not that I took risk which was stupid but would have been washed unexpectedly.