BENGALURU: To mitigate man-animal conflict and prevent wildfires, forest divisions across the state are gradually closing down the trekking routes inside forest areas and their surroundings.
Kudremukh Wildlife Division’s Deputy Conservator of Forests Sivaram Babu M said orders have been issued to close down until further orders all eight trekking routes inside the forest patch from January 13.
“Unlike other countries, forest fires in India are man-made. There have been many incidents in the past, where trekkers have triggered forest blazes, both intentionally and unintentionally. Despite a thorough check, multiple awareness programmes and deployment of guides, trekkers have started fires. Hence, this time it has been decided that trekking will be closed down across the state as the grass patches will soon start to get dry,” said a forest department official, not wanting to be named.
Another reason for closing down the trekking routes is the ongoing tiger census. “The staffers are engaged in the estimation exercise and patrolling for mitigating man–animal conflict. Deploying additional staff for trekking will only make matters worse. Also, since no volunteers are being recruited for the estimation exercise, people are being kept out of bounds,” said the official.
The state forest department, through its Aranya Vihar portal, offers opportunities for trekking in 37 locations across 12 districts in the state. The portal was started to streamline the applications, restrict the numbers of trekkers and control illegal activities. Kudremukh division alone offers eight trekking routes, the most popular being Kudremukh and Netravathi trek, each of which receives around 300 trekkers every day.
Forest officials in Virajpet, Madikeri and Bengaluru rural said the grass is still green in some patches due to light rain, and trekking has not yet been closed on such tracks. However, they will eventually be closed as the wind pattern changes and the season starts to get drier.
In Ramanagara, Tumkurur and Kolar, the officials are surveying the regions before closing down the tracks.
Forest officials said warnings have been given to resorts and hotels not to take people inside forests without permission. “We are monitoring social media platforms to check on illegal trekking groups. Talks are on with revenue department officials to shut trekking routes in buffer zones,” the officials said.