Now Reading: Tourism pressure puts Kerala’s Madayipara ecosystem at risk
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Tourism pressure puts Kerala’s Madayipara ecosystem at risk
Unregulated tourism and an amusement-cum-eco park are threatening Madayipara’s fragile laterite plateau in Kannur, The Hindu reports. Environmentalists cite vehicle movement, artificial lighting, noise and garbage as risks to rare plants, birds…
The Story in Brief
Unregulated tourism and an amusement-cum-eco park are threatening Madayipara’s fragile laterite plateau in Kannur, The Hindu reports. Environmentalists cite vehicle movement, artificial lighting, noise and garbage as risks to rare plants, birds and other wildlife. More than 300 vehicles were recently seen parked on the rocky terrain, according to zoologist Muhamed Jafer Palot.
The park, opened on July 31, allegedly has no trade licence from the Madayi grama panchayat. Panchayat president Sathyabhama B. said permission to operate it had not been granted. Activists have sought District Collector intervention and may pursue conservation reserve status. A land ownership case involving 10 acres has been pending since 2006. Madayipara supports 670 flowering plant types, 258 bird species and several threatened species.
The Indian Opinion
The easy story is that tourism and conservation must always be enemies, or that any project labelled eco-friendly deserves trust. Neither follows from the facts. A plateau supporting threatened plants and protected birds cannot absorb unlimited vehicles, lights and waste without controls. At the same time, protest alone cannot settle disputed land ownership or licensing. The immediate test is whether the panchayat and district administration verify permissions, cap visitor numbers and publish a plan before further events proceed.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
