The district administration has put in place regulations at prominent ecotourism spots in Kozhikode with an aim to avert chances of people drowning. The opening of Kakkayam Dam’s spillway shutters also prompted the administration to impose the restrictions.
Measures are also in place to control visitors to some of the vulnerable coastal areas where sea erosion threat is at its peak. Entering the hazardous coastline, violating safety instructions, will be treated as an offence for initiating action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Complying with the latest safety instructions, various local bodies entrusted with the management of ecotourism spots have also come up with their own stringent surveillance measures. Entry has already been restricted to ecotourism spots like Pathankayam, Arippara and Thusharagiri considering the safety risks during the heavy rain. Mainly, the Kodenchery grama panchayat is overseeing the additional safety arrangements now.
“We have requested the police to carry out regular patrolling with the support of two separate teams in these ecotourism spots. So far, there is no deliberate attempt on the part of anyone to defy it,” said Kodenchery grama panchayat president Alex Thomas. He also said the police would be imposing hefty fines, apart from other legal actions, on those who try to encroach into these areas.
Community rescue volunteers, in the limit of various local tourism spots, have also been asked to stay alert against illegal entry of trekking teams through unpermitted forest routes. Apart from the community rescue teams, there will be the Forest Department’s patrol squads.
Members of some of the destination management committees point out that the latest regulations are not meant to spoil the spirit of monsoon tourism or discourage the tourists. They clarify that the restrictions are temporary and mainly meant to ensure safety.
