Green Activists Oppose Trekkers & Tourists to Unexplored Peaks in Kudremukh National Park Area

Green Activists Oppose Trekkers & Tourists to Unexplored Peaks in Kudremukh National Park Area

Green activists in Dakshina Kannada have appealed to the Forest Department not to allow tourists and trekkers to the unexplored peaks of the Western Ghats within the Kudremukh National Park to conserve the eco-sensitive ghats, which is one of the biodiversity hotspots, from further destruction. Presently, the department allows trekkers and tourists to Kudremukh and Hirimariguppe (which is now popularly called Netravati peak) peaks.

They said that if the department opened Tirimarigubbe, Soojigallu or Soojigudda, and Bangarabailge peaks and Elneer Falls to tourists and for trekking, the biodiversity of the ghats would be under more threat as those who trek were not nature lovers and many of them dispose plastic bottles, plastic bags, other plastic materials, and beer bottles on the fragile ghats.

Dinesh Holla, convener, Sahyadri Sanchaya, said that wildlife has already been disturbed by allowing trekking to Kudremukh and Hirimariguppe peaks. If more peaks are opened, it will only degenerate the ghats further. He said that Mullayyanagiri, Yettinabhuja, and Devaramane peaks in other parts of the Western Ghats have been overexploited due to tourism activities.