Over a thousand trekking enthusiasts had gathered at the starting point of Kumara Parvatha, the fourth highest peak in Karnataka on January 26, Republic Day. Similarly, in the third weekend of June, over 5,000 people reportedly visited Etthina Bhuja and Mullayyanagiri in Chikkamagaluru district.
According to the data provided by the Karnataka Ecotourism Board, more than 1.1 lakh people visited the 19 trails which fall under it, between April and December of 2023. These numbers were significantly higher when compared with over 96,000 visitors in the financial year 2022 – 23.
Apart from the Eco-Tourism Board, there are also many trekking trails which fall under the forest department and a few like Nandi Hills which are maintained by the Horticulture Department.
While online booking system already exists for the trails which fall under Eco-Tourism Board, Forest and Ecology Minister Eeshwar Khandre recently announced that online booking system will also be introduced for all the trails which fall under the Forest Department.
For Kuduremukh and Netravati peaks in Kuduremukh National Park, online booking will soon begin, and all the other peaks will also get online ticketing system soon.
The Forest Department decided to introduce this system after environmentalists and regular trekkers expressed serious concerns about littering and ecological damage on the peaks.
Read more: Karnataka’s troubled trekking trails
Reporting: Jahnavi TR
Production and video: Ravichandran N.
Published - July 02, 2024 07:25 pm IST
