There is a Surreptitious move to open up more areas in Eravikulam National Park for Tourism. This move is spearheaded by Tourism department with the blessings of some ignoramus bigwigs of the forest department.
Eravikulam National Park is a very sensitive area in terms of ecology. The area harbours some unique flora and fauna endemic to the area and found nowhere else in the world. Some of them have distribution of a few Km only. An example is the newly discovered frog species with a distribution of couple of square Km only
Imagine a scenario where tourists merrily go up and down the slopes of the hills of Eravikulam. They are going to wipe out some flora for sure. It has been amply demonstrated by research in US that vegetation trampled by tourists in hills take at least two decades to recoup even when the area is closed.
Unfortunately some photographers and self proclaimed environmentalists have also joined the band wagon seeing the money offered by tourism department. They are hand in glove with the tourism department. The tourism department is coming out with a colourful book on Eravikulam depicting its breath taking landscape. This will spell doom for Eravikulam as there will be increasing clamour for opening new areas. It is easy to get patronage and blessing of the ruling politicians for such moves. An area zealously guarded by Britishers and a couple of generations of committed forest officers is going to the dogs. Environmentalists now is the time to put a break. Speak out. The tourists should remain in tourism zone Rajmalai. Rest of the area is for denizens of the wild
Eravikulam National Park is a very sensitive area in terms of ecology. The area harbours some unique flora and fauna endemic to the area and found nowhere else in the world. Some of them have distribution of a few Km only. An example is the newly discovered frog species with a distribution of couple of square Km only
Imagine a scenario where tourists merrily go up and down the slopes of the hills of Eravikulam. They are going to wipe out some flora for sure. It has been amply demonstrated by research in US that vegetation trampled by tourists in hills take at least two decades to recoup even when the area is closed.
Unfortunately some photographers and self proclaimed environmentalists have also joined the band wagon seeing the money offered by tourism department. They are hand in glove with the tourism department. The tourism department is coming out with a colourful book on Eravikulam depicting its breath taking landscape. This will spell doom for Eravikulam as there will be increasing clamour for opening new areas. It is easy to get patronage and blessing of the ruling politicians for such moves. An area zealously guarded by Britishers and a couple of generations of committed forest officers is going to the dogs. Environmentalists now is the time to put a break. Speak out. The tourists should remain in tourism zone Rajmalai. Rest of the area is for denizens of the wild
2 comments:
Really asinine decision. Please leave Eravikulam alone, it is one of our last pristine area in Kerala
Yes , Mohanji you are right. Eravikulam is a very unique area. Its future should not be left to the whims and fancies of tourism department or the ignoramus in fotrest department
Post a Comment