Trekking to be limited to 300 people a day once it resumes, only in areas with online bookings
Trekkers lining up at the entry counters on Kodagu and Kukke Subramanya sides of the trail. Photo: M Raghuram Karnataka’s popular trekking path Kukke Subramanya-Pushpagiri, on an environmentally sensitive section of the Western Ghats, has been temporarily closed from February 1, 2024. The trail that witnesses thousands of visitors will now resume treks in October and visitors will be allowed only in areas with a government online booking system.
The ban came after a video clip of the tourist traffic from last weekend made rounds on social media. The previous weekend, which was a long one thanks to the Republic Day holiday on January 26, saw over 1,500 trekkers lining up at the entry counters on Kodagu and Kukke Subramanya sides of the path.
The Kumara Parvatha trekking trail begins about a kilometre from Kukke Subramanya temple in Dakshina Kannada district in Pushpagiri wildlife sanctuary.
Karnataka’s Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre on January 30, 2024 directed the forest department to temporarily ban trekking activities in several forest areas.
Managing the crowds was a nightmarish ordeal for forest officials on the weekend, who methodically checked trekkers’ bags for banned items like plastic bags, items of non-biodegradable materials, lighters, cigarettes and PET bottles.
“Search and prevention operations take at least five minutes per person,” said a forest department official at Kodagu. “You can imagine how much time it took to check 1,500 people.”
The forest department confiscates anything that can be harmful for the forest and its animals — they are locked away and can be collected by the trekkers once they return. The officials also collect a deposit against plastic items being taken into the forest — trekkers can get it back on returning and showing the plastic items have not been disposed of in the forest.
Trekking is now suspended beginning February 1 until October, following the huge influx into the trekking paths. Usually, the path is closed from February 15 for the summer and rainy seasons, Khandre told this reporter.
“To begin with, there is a risk of forest fires in many places along this trekking route during the summer. During the rainy season, the tracks become slippery and slushy, leaving the trekkers helpless. They frequently face hardships and life-threatening situations,” the minister said.
Forest officials in charge of trekking safety have reported another concerning development: Natural streams have dried up earlier this year due to deficit rainfall during monsoons. The base camp at Girigadde, about five kilometres from the starting point in the 12-kilometre upward trek, has the only drinking water source for the trekkers. But the water source has now dried up, with no alternatives for trekkers, according to forest officials.
When asked if animals are also facing an issue of lack of water, officials said there were few creatures at this height and nature would handle the issue.
Online bookings for trekking will begin in October 2024 and only 300 people will be allowed on the Kukke Subramanya-Pushpagiri path in a day.
After video clip and photos by trekkers showing the stampede at the background check gate made rounds on social media, Khandre ordered the divisional forest officer of the area to inspect the spot and submit a report and resume trekking only after the summer and monsoon seasons are over.
The number of trekkers was increasing everyday, a report by the forest department in coordination with the Karnataka tourism department found. The trekking trails are especially crowded on weekends.
Despite the forest department’s best efforts to keep the trash created by the trekkers away from the forest area, the large movement within the forest disturbed the wildlife and harmed the environment. People overcrowding the forest areas was also polluting the water and foliage, the report stated.
Trekkers throw away plastic bags, bottles, plates, and leftover food items on the outskirts of the forests, endangering wildlife, the report alleged.
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