Unregulated Treks, Hidden-Spot Tourism Worry Western Ghats Residents

Residents and environmentalists in Karnataka's Western Ghats, especially in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts, are raising concerns over a growing trend of private groups and tour operators promoting remote natural locations for commercial trekking and adventure activities.

Locals fear that a sudden influx of visitors to ecologically sensitive areas could cause lasting damage to forests, water sources, and wildlife habitats. Several travel agents and private groups, reportedly from Bengaluru and Mysuru, are identifying lesser-known hills, waterfalls, and other scenic spots and promoting them on social media. Treks are then organised to these locations without obtaining permission from the Forest Department.

In Kodagu, the Forest Department has recently intensified action against unauthorised commercial trekking in sensitive forest areas. This follows the circulation of social media videos showing trekking activities near mountains, waterfalls, and areas where Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), an endemic shrub, is in bloom at Perur village near Napoklu. Officials have warned travel agents and tour operators against promoting illegal trekking routes.

Thimmaiah K.B., a resident of Nelji, said several illegal tour operators are arranging treks to hidden spots in the hills without permission. He noted that many lesser-known places inside and around forest areas are now being exposed to tourists for commercial purposes. The area has several small waterfalls and natural spots that are increasingly being accessed by visitors, many of which are located in or close to sensitive forest areas and are not equipped to handle large numbers of people.

"With the Neelakurinji in bloom, more people are coming here. If visitors are allowed to enter these places without restrictions, they could damage the plants and other vegetation. Such activities can also disturb wildlife and increase the possibility of human-wildlife conflict," he said.

Another resident, Biddappa of Marandoda in Madikeri taluk, said his village faces a similar problem at a place locally known as Baliyatre, where a small waterfall is located on a hill. He emphasised that the water source is vital for the villagers and the location was never intended to be a tourist destination. "People are promoting the location on social media, making reels, bringing tourists and organising treks for commercial purposes. Visitors have already started leaving garbage and polluting the area, putting our drinking-water source and the surrounding forest at risk," he added.

A similar trend has emerged in Chikkamagaluru, where environmentalists have urged the district administration and the Forest Department to prohibit private groups from conducting adventure and sports activities in forest areas without permission. Recently, private groups organised off-road activities in parts of Kalasa and Koppa. Following objections from local groups, the Forest Department intervened and stopped the activity in Kalasa, though similar activities reportedly continued in the Koppa region.

Activist Nagaraj Koove said environmentalists had studied the impact of such activities on the fragile Malnad ecosystem. "The impact was huge and such activities could cause serious damage. In the name of sports activities or exploring the Malnad region, private organisations are conducting such events with profit as the primary objective," he said. He added that forest areas are not playgrounds for private commercial events and that activities involving vehicles and large groups should be stopped unless properly regulated and permitted.

The risks were highlighted recently when a group of tourists allegedly drove a vehicle to the edge of a nearly 3,000-ft-deep gorge at the Rani Jhari viewpoint in Mudigere taluk. The visitors were reportedly at the spot to shoot videos for social media. Kalasa Range forest officials seized the vehicle and registered a case against the group.

Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who was in Kodagu on August 28 for a departmental meeting, said he had received complaints from residents regarding unauthorised trekking and tourist activities in forest areas. He instructed officials to take action against those conducting trekking activities illegally. "Forest areas cannot be opened up for commercial activities merely because some locations become popular on social media. If such activities are allowed unchecked, they can disturb wildlife and affect the ecological balance," he said, adding that officials have been directed to identify such activities and take action against tour operators and private groups violating the rules.