Shutdown over tourism curbs deserts Masinagudi

COIMBATORE: Shops remained closed, and safari vehicle operators stayed off the roads in Masinagudi on Friday to protest the Madras High Court's directions imposing additional restrictions on tourism-related activities in the ecologically sensitive region.

The protesters opposed the proposed establishment of additional check posts on roads leading to Moyar, Semmanatham, Singara and Bokkapuram villages, as well as the closure of the Kalhatti Ghat Road to tourist vehicles.

Besides directing the setting up of check posts, the court ordered that only forest department-registered jeeps be permitted to ferry tourists on safari routes, with preference to be given to vehicles operated by local residents and members of tribal communities.

The court also restricted jeep safari operations to between 6 am and 5.30 pm and authorised the forest department to impose additional measures to safeguard wildlife.

Local traders and tourism operators maintained that restrictions on tourist vehicles through the Kalhatti–Ooty Ghat Road have significantly reduced visitor inflow, adversely affecting businesses ranging from hotels and restaurants to shops, jeep operators and tourist guides.

Restrictions on tourist vehicles along the steep and winding Kalhatti Ghat Road were first introduced in 2018 following a fatal accident in which five tourists from Chennai lost their lives after their car plunged into a gorge while negotiating a hairpin bend.

While acknowledging the importance of wildlife conservation, the protesters said environmental protection measures should be implemented in a manner that does not disproportionately affect the livelihoods of people dependent on tourism.

They urged the state government to take appropriate legal and administrative steps to seek a review or suitable modification of the court's directions to strike a balance between conservation imperatives and the economic interests of local communities. Tourists were disappointed as the shutdown left Masinagudi largely deserted, with commercial establishments remaining closed and private tourist vehicles staying off the roads.