Uncontrolled Tourism in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

And then there is uncontrolled tourism, the one which India as a nation is most familiar with.

Uncontrolled not as a result of the large hordes of tourists but because of the abysmal state of tourism management in place. Amongst popular zones of tourism in South India, the Nilgiris region counts high and each year, an increasing number of inland and foreign tourists come to the hills to escape the heat of the plains or to simply experience the large swathes of forests that cover the region.

Infact, not all zones are popular and some receive an unduly large number of tourists as compared to other equally beautiful regions. A cursory look at the map of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve can help demarcate certain regions which are high tourist zones. Major zones include the Siruvani Waterfall, with mostly local tourists who visit for recreation and leave behind solid waste in the form of plastic wrappers, bottles and more.

The next major tourism belt is the Upper Nilgiri region based around the towns of Coonoor and Ooty. The visitors include visitors from outside the state, foreigners and day visitors from cities and towns of Tamil Nadu. The Ooty-Coonoor region is the hub of most tourist activities with the estimated number of people touching more than 1.2 million annually.

The third zone is Sigur Plateau where wildlife tourism is in vogue. A consequent spin-off of the wildlife tourism enterprise are widespread reports of night safari and increased pressures on the meagre resources of this dry plateau.

The fourth zone is Bandipur belt where a number of resorts have come up, adjacent to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. This comprises visitors from parts of Karnataka and outstation visitors from other parts of India.

The fifth zone is Nagarhole where a majority of the tourists are willing to pay more for high-end services that include luxury-settings.

The sixth zone is Wynaad where there have been recent developments in tourism and a number of middle to high-end resorts have come up that cater to varying clientele.

The seventh zone is Silent Valley National Park where only a limited number of tourists are permitted and is visited mostly by serious trekkers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Of these seven zones, the Sigur plateau and upper areas of Nilgiri hills are under severe pressure. Lack of civic sense among visitors to these places is felt in the wildlife environs. In Sigur and Nagarhole, it also leads to reports of firewood collection to meet the demands of the tourist. This ‘green greed’ - has led to the mushrooming of several wildlife resorts, guest houses and campsites, especially in Sigur. Erstwhile estates have converted to this lucrative business. e.g. in Sigur there are about thirty wildlife resorts and hotels which put severe pressure for resources in that plateau.

Besides, there is a little restriction on the number and kinds of vehicles that are let into the protected areas, especially in Mudumalai. Roads have proven to be a major source of degradation of the forest regions and in fast-forwarding exposure of Adivasis to jet setters from all over the nation. One particular example is the road that passes through Masinagudi and up to Ooty through the forested regions of Sigur. This road is exposed to vehicles that seek to avoid the long travelling time on the main Gudalur-Mysore highway, consequently surpassing the carrying capacity of the region. These stories repeat themselves again in various forms.

The large influx of tourists, as we are witnessing in Ooty has led to severe pressures on the natural ecosystems. While the revenue generated by tourism is welcomed by the administration, one is left wondering about the negative ripple effects that have already converted several tourist-friendly zones into strict no-no’s now.