MALAPPURAM: A spectacular carpet of blue has transformed the Nilgiri hills as the rare Mettukurinji blooms across vast stretches of grassland, drawing hundreds of visitors from Kerala, especially Nilambur and Malappuram.
But the once-in-six-years floral spectacle has also exposed a growing lack of awareness, with many tourists plucking the flowers after mistaking them for the iconic Neelakurinji.
While many Malayalis have travelled to experience the spectacular blue landscape, a significant number was more interested in creating social media reels. Several visitors were seen plucking the flowers and even uprooting entire plants in the mistaken belief that they could be grown at home.
Wildlife photographer and nature vlogger V M Sadique Ali said many people are unaware that both Mettukurinji and Neelakurinji are endemic species that thrive only in specific mountain ecosystems.
“What we are witnessing in Gudalur and Nadukani is truly extraordinary. Vast stretches of the hills have turned blue with Mettukurinji in full bloom. The Gudalur forest range has arranged visitor access through the Needle Rock View Point on the Ooty route, allowing tourists from Kerala to experience the flowering by purchasing entry tickets,” he said.
“Unfortunately, many visitors do not understand the ecological significance of these plants and end up damaging them. Several Kerala vloggers have shared videos from the area, and many of those videos clearly show people carrying bunches of flowers with them. Some even try to take home entire plants, unaware that these species cannot survive outside their natural habitat.”
“Our attitude towards nature must change,” said Sadique Ali, who has also been sharing awareness videos on Instagram.
The Tamil Nadu forest department has warned of strict action, including hefty fines, against anyone found plucking or damaging the plants. Nearly 25 forest personnel have been deployed to monitor visitors and prevent destruction of the flowering landscape.
“Visitor numbers were exceptionally high during the initial days of the bloom, especially over the last weekend. Most of them were from Kerala, and it became difficult to stop people from plucking the flowers. We then deployed additional officers at various locations and started making announcements in both Tamil and Malayalam, informing visitors that the flowers and plants must not be touched. Entry to the viewpoints is restricted from 9am to 4pm. We have also started imposing fines of `25,000 on those found damaging or plucking the plants,” an official with the Gudalur forest range said.
“Since these measures were introduced, visitors have become more responsible. We warmly welcome people from Kerala to witness this natural wonder, but everyone must remember that protecting it is our collective responsibility.” the official added.
