Only 300 a day allowed at Chikkamagaluru trekking peaks

CHIKKAMAGALURU: From Tuesday, Karnataka forest department will allow only 300 trekkers per day into peaks of Kudremukh and Netravati in Chikkamagaluru district, about 250km from Bengaluru, and will sell tickets online in advance.
The measure comes after increasing instances of thousands of trekkers and tourists, with vehicles in tow, crowding the mountainous district over weekends.
Last week, many trekking hotspots reported kilometres-long jam along the snaky trails - a feature becoming more regular with each weekend.
As per the forest department's plan announced on Monday, an individual is allowed to book up to three tickets for trekking. Homestays in the district will also be allotted a few tickets that could be sold to guests.

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This move aims to preserve the natural beauty and integrity of these popular trekking destinations, while responsibly encouraging eco-balanced tourism.
The department conducted a detailed study before fixing the number of trekkers to be allowed a day. The capacity of each trekking destination - an El Dorado of sorts for adventure-starved weekend travellers - was scientifically studied and the numbers were fixed before the rollout of the plan, a forest officer said.
For instance, trekkers planning to visit the coffee district in July have to book tickets from June 25. At the same time, tatkal bookings are made available for weekends, without altering the cap on the number of visitors to each trekking peak.
Tatkal has two slots: One for locals and the other for last-minute visitors or trekkers. The authorities would reserve 100 tickets on tatkal for weekends, 50 each for locals and visitors. Weekend tatkal tickets will be made available from Thursday. For locals and homestays, the department will create separate logins. Locals and homestays must register themselves at Kudremukh and Belthangady range officers, submitting documents.
Environment activists welcomed the move and urged the department to ensure the new system works effectively. However, local operators raised concerns over internet-connectivity issues. "We've been facing server issues in revenue and other departments, and this should be addressed on priority," said Gurudas, who runs a homestay.