Kyathanamakki Gudda or Gali Gudda near the temple town Horanadu in Chikkamagaluru district is among the less explored peaks on the eco-sensitive Western Ghats. Yet, one can see empty plastic water bottles, wrappers of eatables, sachets, cigarette butts and discarded beer bottles on top of this hill station.
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Sri Kalasheswara Grama Aranya Samithi, Kalasa, under Karnataka Forest Department in Chikkamagaluru district, collects ₹50 per head as entry fee from the visitors, who can also hire a jeep to the peak from Kyathanamakki or walk. The entry fee slip issued at the forest check post clearly says that pitching tent, lighting camp fire, consumption of liquor and discarding plastic material is prohibited. But the person who issues tickets never checks what a visitor carries with them while entering or returning. If a visitor throws any waste on the peak of the gudda there is none to check. When this reporter visited the peak on February 6, 2024, two groups of people were busy with pre-wedding shoots.
A file photo of green activists collecting plastic and other waste from Gadayikallu area. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Lax gate keeping
Yettina Bhuja or Ettina Bhuja is a popular destination in the same district on the ghats. The gate keeping here is no different. A forest department staff at the base of the hillock only collects the entry fee and allows anyone to carry eatables, plastic carry bags, water bottles and so on. This reporter who visited the peak on October 28, 2023, could see plastic bottles, and covers thrown by visitors on its peak and stray dogs devouring left-over food.
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Empty plastic water bottles, plastic covers and wrappers dumped by trekkers and tourists on the peak of Yettina Bhuja or Ettina Bhuja, a popular trekking destination, on the Western Ghats in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka. | Photo Credit: RAVIPRASAD KAMILA
Asked about allowing everything to the peak, the Forest Department staff on duty replied, “All those who arrive here are educated people. Many have good jobs. There is nothing much to advise them.” He said that a group of youth from Bengaluru had picked up from the peak all plastic materials, which made up about four to five jeep loads.
“Our family returned with a bag full of plastic bottles and plastic covers collected from the peak of Yettina Bhuja when we visited it last April,” recalled K.A. Nagesh, a doctor from Hassan.
Dinesh Holla, convener, Sahyadri Sanchaya, a body of green activists in Mangaluru, and an avid trekker on the Western Ghats said, “Last year, I saw a tourist holding a beer bottle on the Kudremukh peak. When I questioned, he shot back that he had paid the fee of ₹500 to the Forest Department as entry fee. The attitude is that he is entitled to do anything as he had paid the fee.”
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The plastic menace has spoilt Devaramane, Kumara Parvatha, Kudremukh, Hirimariguppe, Rushyashringa, Mullayyanagiri, Baba Budangiri which are frequented by trekkers and tourists, he said.
Suhas Hegde, also a trekker and a tourism promoter, of Sirsi, said that almost all popular trekking spots on the Western Ghats have now been spoiled due to excess human activity. Water falls in Magodu, Mattighatta, Unchalli, Kuli Magodu, Sahasralinga in Uttara Kannada are not free from plastic menace and dumping of beer bottles.
A file photo of green activists under the auspices of Sahyadri Sanchaya and other bodies collecting plastic waste from the Bisle Ghat area. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A panoramic view of the Western Ghats at Kudremukh. | Photo Credit: RAVIPRASAD KAMILA
Danger to wildlife
Holla, who is also an artist, recalled, “A deer was found dead at Kallathigiri forest area in Chikkamagaluru district during 2012-2013. When forest department conducted a post mortem the veterinary doctors recovered about six k.g. of plastic materials from its stomach.” The artist added, “In 2014 when I was leading a group of trekkers from Devaramane to Minchukallu, a sambar deer was found running from a stream with hooves bleeding. Then we noticed that the stream had glass pieces of beer bottles.” Many streams on the Western Ghats have now been polluted with beer bottles thrown by tourists and trekkers endangering the lives of wild animals, said Holla.
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“Wild animals do develop gangrene and die over the period if glass pieces are not removed from their toes. Some of the unnatural death of wild elephants are due to the same,” he said adding that the plastic waste from the ghats ultimately join the rivers and other water bodies during monsoon and some end up in joining sea endangering marine life too.
Protect unexplored peaks
The Sahyadri Sanchaya and Hasira Tapassu of Mundaje, Dakshina Kannada, which is another forum of green activists, have submitted memoranda to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kudremukh Wildlife Division, Karkala, in August last appealing not to open unexplored peaks of the ghats within the Kudremukh National Park for tourists and trekkers. It is to conserve the biodiversity hotspots from further destruction.
A file photo of plastic materials collected by green activists from Agumbe Ghat area. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
They said that if the department opened Tirimarigubbe, Soojigallu or Soojigudda, Bangarabailge peaks and Elneer Falls to tourists and for trekking, the biodiversity of the ghats would be under greater threat. Presently, the department has opened only the Kudremukh and Hirimariguppe (which is now popularly called Netravati peak) peaks for trekkers. “Tourism should not be promoted at the cost of the Western Ghats,” Sachin Bhide and Avinash Bhide, conveners of Hasira Tapassu, said.
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Holla said that “business lobby” wants the department to open up unexplored hillocks on the ghats for visitors because they can open homestays in the vicinity to earn revenue. However, so far the destinations mentioned have not been opened.
He said that construction of uncontrolled home stays, building of roads, hydro-electric power projects, mining activities, ecroachments for farming have already damaged the Western Ghats to a great extent.
Example of Ranipuram
Hegde said that in Ranipuram in Kerala the forest department never allows trekkers and tourists to carry anything with them from the starting to the end point. It has allowed select local people to sell home-made butter milk and kokum juice to the visitors on the route to quench the thirst. The same can be emulated in Karnataka.
Empty plastic water bottles dumped by tourists, near a hotel, at the base of Yettina Bhuja or Ettina Bhuja. | Photo Credit: RAVIPRASAD KAMILA
The Forest Department in Karnataka should legalise all existing trekking routes as there are illegal ones now to the hidden water falls. Later it should manage them on a “business model” and not on a “service model” as it is being done now. The “business model” approach will help to maintain the cleanliness of the hillocks, water bodies and preventing them from becoming a dumping place of plastic materials, Mr. Hegde argued.
Holla said guides who lead trekkers and tourists should be held accountable and imposed heavy fines along with those directly causing pollution. Penalty should be imposed if the trekkers and tourists do not return with all plastic materials they carried before visiting the destinations.
Forest minister responds
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre told press persons in Mangaluru on February 6, 2024, that the Forest Department can not prevent nature lovers from visiting the water falls and other hill stations. The Department will, however, take suitable measures to prevent the pollution at hill stations and water bodies. The department will chalk out a comprehensive plan for the effective management of the existing and unexplored trekking destinations, he promised.