Eshwar Khandre.
Mangaluru: In the wake of growing concerns voiced by environmentalists, Karnataka Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre directed the forest department to temporarily ban all trekking activities in forests, excluding designated online booking routes.
The surge in the number of individuals undertaking treks in the Western Ghats over recent years has prompted local residents and green activists to register strong protests. More than 4,000 trekkers were seen in the ecologically fragile area of the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary where the Kumara Parvatha peak is located, last week. Video of the trekkers went viral on social media platforms prompting environmentalists to intensify their protest. They urged the state government to regulate such activities, emphasizing that uncontrolled trekking could have detrimental effects on the sensitive forest and ecology of the Western Ghats.
Rresponding to the matter, Ishwar Khandre, issued the order to temporarily ban all trekking activities in forests except routes that can be booked online. He stressedthat there is a need for online booking for trekking in forests and to limit the number of entries. Thus he proposed to continue the ban until the forest department formulates a Standard Operating Procedure.
The minister acknowledged the challenges faced by the forest department in managing and monitoring trekkers, expressing concerns about the potential environmental impacts. While welcoming the government's decision, the activists are advocating for more stringent measures.
“We appreciate the prompt response and the instruction given to Forest officials,” National Environment Care Federation (NECF) state secretary Shashidhar Shetty told Deccan Chronicle.
“The Western Ghats are an ecologically sensitive area. Access should be restricted to those interested in studying the forest and environment. Instances of people littering, dumping bottles, and plastics materials pose a threat to the animals and the environment,” he said.
The surge in the number of individuals undertaking treks in the Western Ghats over recent years has prompted local residents and green activists to register strong protests. More than 4,000 trekkers were seen in the ecologically fragile area of the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary where the Kumara Parvatha peak is located, last week. Video of the trekkers went viral on social media platforms prompting environmentalists to intensify their protest. They urged the state government to regulate such activities, emphasizing that uncontrolled trekking could have detrimental effects on the sensitive forest and ecology of the Western Ghats.
Rresponding to the matter, Ishwar Khandre, issued the order to temporarily ban all trekking activities in forests except routes that can be booked online. He stressedthat there is a need for online booking for trekking in forests and to limit the number of entries. Thus he proposed to continue the ban until the forest department formulates a Standard Operating Procedure.
The minister acknowledged the challenges faced by the forest department in managing and monitoring trekkers, expressing concerns about the potential environmental impacts. While welcoming the government's decision, the activists are advocating for more stringent measures.
“We appreciate the prompt response and the instruction given to Forest officials,” National Environment Care Federation (NECF) state secretary Shashidhar Shetty told Deccan Chronicle.
“The Western Ghats are an ecologically sensitive area. Access should be restricted to those interested in studying the forest and environment. Instances of people littering, dumping bottles, and plastics materials pose a threat to the animals and the environment,” he said.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
Next Story
