IDUKKI: With the neelakurinji season expected to paint the Western Ghats in shades of violet-blue from September, the Idukki administration and forest department have begun preparations to welcome visitors to Chokramudi and other flowering sites. Officials said mass flowering of neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) could be widespread if weather turns favourable in the coming weeks.
District Collector Dineshan Cheruvatt is scheduled to visit Chokramudi on August 17 to assess the arrangements ahead of the season. Around 30m of the road leading to Chokramudi is currently being concreted as part of the preparations.
The forest department has decided to charge Rs 200 per adult and Rs 100 for visitors aged between five and 18 to enter Chokramudi. Online slot booking is also being planned to regulate visitor numbers and prevent overcrowding. Officials said the number of visitors permitted at each location would be determined based on carrying-capacity studies, ensuring that tourism does not adversely affect the grassland ecosystem.
Efforts are also under way to introduce additional KSRTC services to transport visitors to the flowering sites. The preparations involve the revenue and forest departments, along with agencies including the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), as well as voluntary and environmental organisations.
An official in the Devikulam forest range said mass flowering is expected in September in the Chokramudi, Pampadum Shola, Kodaikanal, Poondi and Clavara stretches. The flowering had earlier extended towards Rajakkad, but no neelakurinji plants have been spotted flowering in that area this season, the official said.
“The forest department had been conducting trekking to Chokramudi at `500 per person. In view of the neelakurinji bloom, the ticket charge has now been fixed at Rs 200 per person,” the official said.
Experts attribute the delay in widespread flowering to the pattern of the southwest monsoon. While rainfall was deficient during the initial phase of the monsoon, the region has received heavy rain in recent weeks.
Scattered neelakurinji plants have already begun flowering at Chokramudi and other stretches. According to experts, at least 10 consecutive days of sunshine could trigger widespread flowering. Continued rain, however, could prevent the buds from opening and delay the peak flowering period.
