Clear/KaminiTenkasi: : How do you protest a bathing ban? How about a bath?Traders and Communist parties in Tenkasi on Wednesday took a symbolic bath outside the Collectorate – pouring water from bottles on themselves – to protest against the ban on night bathing and introduction of entry fee at the Old Courtallam Falls.Condemning the ‘commercialisation’ of the tourist spot, CPI(M) state executive member KG Bhaskaran said that notifying the places as falling under reserved forest area and restricting access from 7 am to 5 pm will affect the livelihood of local residents dependent on tourism.“Courtalam is one of the few tourist destinations in South India where families can reach the waterfalls without trekking through forested areas,” he said, adding that tourists visiting Courtalam can still find dormitories and rooms for between Rs 500 and Rs 600 per night, unlike many hill stations like the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal, where travel and accommodation costs were higher.During the June–September tourist season, tourists usually access the waterfalls around the clock and food stalls operate throughout the night, including eateries serving parotta at midnight. Trader A Manikandan said crowd movement was earlier spread throughout the day and night and limiting entry hours would now lead to increased crowding during the limited day hours. “Despite the huge influx of tourists, except for sporadic cases of theft, there have been no major incidents of stampede or any serious law and order problems,” he said.Bhaskaran said the forest department has already taken over the Chitraruvi Falls from the local body and recently took over the control of the old Courtalam Falls from the Ayiraperi Panchayat. “If this continues, other waterfalls including the Five Falls and the Main Falls, where entry was free, may also come under similar controls,” he said.Under the new system, the forest department collects Rs 20 per person for bathing and Rs 10 per person for transportation from the entrance to the waterfall. Visitors parking their vehicles at the entrance are charged separately, including Rs 75 for cars.“Out of the Rs 75 parking fee, only Rs 30 was kept by the department and the remaining amount was handed over to the panchayat,” said a senior forest department official. He said the regulated transport system would prevent autorickshaw drivers from charging tourists up to Rs 250 for a short distance trip to the waterfall.He said that this step has been taken following the instructions Madras High Court and aligned with the state’s eco-tourism policy which aims to reduce pollution, maintain cleanliness and create employment opportunities for local residents.