Cites rising gaur population and possible human-animal conflict

A rise in the number of Indian gaurs in the Doddabetta area, has forced the Forest Department to ban tourists from walking a two-km stretch to the Doddabetta Peak, one of the major tourist attractions here.

So far, tourists could walk to the peak from the Forest Department check post on the main road. Now, they will have to either hire vehicles or use shuttle services offered by the department to get there.

Assistant Conservator of Forests (Nilgiris Division) K. Saravanakumar said the department, which manages the Doddabetta Eco-Development Committee, had taken the decision to ban visitors from walking to the peak owing to safety concerns. “Indian gaurs are spotted regularly along the stretch, and there is a concern that visitors could get injured, or worse, in a confrontation with a wild animal,” he said. The department was also taking action against picnickers and other visitors who ventured into the forests for taking photographs. However, the department’s decision to close the badly-damaged road from the check post to the peak to walkers has caused concern among residents, including those residing in the Mel Kodappamund and Gorishola areas. They fear this could result in gridlocks along the Ooty-Kotagiri Road during peak tourist season.

“During the summer season, hundreds of vehicles climb towards Doddabetta, often causing huge gridlocks at the Doddabetta Junction. The decision to close the road now to people opting to walk up to the peak will encourage more cars and vehicles up the slopes, possibly intensifying the problem in the process,” said S. Raghunathan, a resident of Mel Kodappamund, who travels to Kotagiri for work every day.

The forest department said it was aware of the concerns and was coming up with strategies to manage the traffic bound for the peak during the tourism season this summer.

“We are aware of the fact that parking space at Doddabetta is limited, and the possibility of the road leading up to the peak becoming gridlocked. So, we plan to introduce four to five shuttle buses that would pick people up at a designated point, possibly near Charring Cross, and take them to Doddabetta,” said an official from the department.