NILGIRIS: Kinnakorai, a small village surrounded by forests near Kundha in the Nilgiris district, is trending unexpectedly as a tourist destination, courtesy videos on social media. However, forest department officials are faced with a problem as several tourists, especially from Kerala, are venturing into the forest illegally as they travel to Kinnakorai to savour its beauty and enjoy its salubrious climate.
Tourists coming on two-wheelers and in cars are hindering the free movement of wild animals, said officials.
The tourist flow continues despite imposition of fines against tourists straying into the forests.
The number of tourists spurts during the extended weekends as during the latest Pooja festival.
Ninety percent of those penalised this year were Kerala natives as it is on the inter-state border. Three tourists from the Thrissur district were fined Rs 2,000 each on Friday, said forest department officials.
"Except locals, no other people should visit here since the village is nestled in the forest. There are frequent movements of gaur, sloth bears, leopards and spotted deer," stated Kundha Forest Range officer R Selvakumar.
The forest starts on both sides of the road. Awareness boards in the village mention that entry is restricted. There is no route to reach Kerala via Kinnakorai but tourists intend to return through the same village, he added.
"We are imposing a fine as per the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882. Our investigation revealed tourists are arriving after watching videos about the village on YouTube, Instagram, etc," Selvakumar said.
"Kinnakorai is located 6,000 feet above sea level. It is not a tourist place like other places in the Nilgiris. Though there have been no human-animal conflicts, we are taking precautionary steps. We will take stringent action against tourists visiting the place," he added.