The Kerala government is racing against time to put in place mechanisms to give a memorable Kurinji experience to all visitors. File Photo: Sebinster Francis/Route 49 adventuresIt is one deep blue bloom which Kerala awaits. The Kurinji season (August till October) is all set to start on the Western Ghat stretches of the state with the south-west monsoon setting in.
The monsoon is the natural facilitator and catalyst for the blooming of Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) which lends a hue to the grasslands and hillsides of Munnar. The Kerala government is racing against time to put in place mechanisms to give a memorable Kurinji experience to all visitors.
A study by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) has suggested a Rs 6.5-crore plan to develop infrastructure, services, and software to effectively manage traffic and crowd in the Munnar town and surrounding areas during the flowering time. The report, submitted in the second week of May, leaves the government with a 60-day window for effectively handling issues like traffic and crowd control, parking, ticketing, waste management, health, and environment.
Though the administration started the initial preparations for the season a year ago, it decided to seek the services of NATPAC to draw up a more efficacious plan. The increased influence of social media since the last blooming also created a hype on the Internet about the 2018 season. “This will reflect in the number of footfalls. A town like Munnar cannot accommodate so many people in a span of three months,” district collector, Idukki, G. R. Gokul said.
“The NATPAC report has identified some locations as best spots for viewing 'Kurinjis.' It has also suggested a major traffic reform for reduced impact on the ecology and day-to-day life of residents in Munnar,” Gokul said.
Long-term development plan
“NATPAC submitted the report after a comprehensive study eyeing the long-term development of Munnar town; not just for the Kurinji season,” said R Prakashkumar, NATPAC director, said.
However, NATPAC had identified 'traffic control, parking, health, and environment as key areas that needed immediate attention.'
Dr Prakashkumar said suggestions like developing a mobile app or improving the drainage facilities could be moved to a later stage and executed along with the master plan to make Munnar a sustainable and green tourism destination.
Factors like the size of the town and fragility of it's ecology called for strict measures to control the movement of people, especially during events of the Kurinji magnitude. The Munnar administration focuses on making Kurinji 2018 a better tourism event while putting in place all necessary restrictions to safeguard the town and its ecosystem, the collector said.
Collector's appeal
Weekend rush to Munnar is notorious for traffic logjams even during off seasons. Keeping this in mind the collector has urged people to schedule visits during week days in a staggered pattern.
“The new website, to be launched by the end of June, will give realtime updates on tourist density, ticket status and parking availability. Plan your trip after checking the website,” the collector said.
Travellers should take heed of this advice as entry to Munnar will not be allowed at points like Marayoor and Adimali when a threshold is reached. It is better to reschedule your visit if the vehicle and tourist density is above 75 per cent on the website. Read district administration's traffic arrangements in detail here
Splitting the footfall
The tourism department, environmentalists, and industry stake-holders want to divide footfalls to multiple locations to reduce the impact on the ecosystem. The district administration and wildlife department are currently not pushing for such a move, as all the other easily accessible areas were covered in the 2014 blooming.
Though Kurinjimala is the next prime location to sight the blooming after Eravikulam National Park (ENP) at Rajamala, a difficult terrain and the recent political turmoil have dented its popularity.
“There is no better location like Rajamala top-spot for tourists to enjoy Kurinji bloom. There will be a bloom on the belt covering Thattanpara and Agendapara in Kurinjimala which are accessible only through risky off-roading. Inexperienced tourists won't enjoy it. Hence, these areas will be kept off the limit for tourism activities,” said Munnar wildlife warden R Lakshmi. They are, however, open to allowing trekking routes this season.
Trek your way
Munnar Wildlife Department is planning to open more trekking routes this season. File Photo: Sebinster Francis/Route 49 adventuresThis will also help the administration to curtail the illegal entry of tourists to areas like Gundumala, Lakkam, Bandar, Chilandiyar etc, said Sebinster Francis, environmentalist and managing director of Route 49 adventures. “We have clients who are serious trekkers, photographers and researchers, who want a first-hand experience of this phenomenon. Opening more venues will be a welcome news for them,” Sebinster said.
Lakshmi said this could be worked out by issuing special passes and if trek organisers ensure adequate safety precautions.
Top Station, near Kurangani, where a wildfire claimed the lives of 17 from a trekking group in March this year, will also see a bloom this year. However, to avoid any untoward incidents, these areas will remain closed.
“Tata has agreed to allow trekking through their tea gardens to areas like Lakkam and Ettam mile, provided the groups carry passes issued by the department and are lead by official guides,” Lakshmi said.
All roads to ENP
All eyes will be on Eravikulam National Park (ENP), which is under the control of the Wildlife Department. Team Wildlife is on a roll and exuded confidence to finish off their part of the preparations in time in Eravikulam. NATPAC had proposed a Rs 10.75-lakh project to improve facilities at the national park. Read in detail about the ENP facelift
Work on a visitors' lounge, bio-toilets in the hiking area, and extension of bus bay and waiting sheds are all in various stages of progress.
Kurinji 2018 will be Wildlife Department's test run of its new website too. “As much as 75 per cent of the tickets will be issued online and rest will include offline sales, reservations etc.,” Lakshmi said.
Medical emergency
Since there is no medical facility atop Rajamala, the department has suggested setting up a temporary medical camp at the park entrance. “The plan has approval from the Health Secretary. The special team will camp at Ancham mile and will have the Tata hospital as the base,” she said.
The department will engage native people and players from the tourism sector to meet the increased staff requirement during the season. This special team will prevent illegal entry to the park and manage crowd entry and customer relations.
Police and traffic reinforcement
Core enforcement teams will also be enhanced and additional nodal officers brought in just to cover the Kurinji season. Over 250 additional police officers will be deployed in Munnar during the season, Gokul said.
Traffic will also be managed professionally. A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP)-level officer will lead the police team while another officer under that rank will head the traffic team. Click to read in detail
Waste management
Another major crisis in Munnar during the Kurinji season is waste disposal. The town currently has no mechanism in place for waste management. Though Tata had given a proposal to set up a waste treatment plant, decision on that is pending. Even if it is cleared now, the plant could be made functional only later. NATPAC had suggested a Rs 15-lakh project for solid waste management in the town.
“The Tourism Department has struck a separate Rs 75-lakh deal with the ex-servicemen society for collecting waste from across Munnar during the Kurinji season,” said KS Shine, deputy director, Tourism. The same society had been given the responsibility of moving waste that is currently being dumped in the forest area, he said.
The government and the tourism department, which had been winning accolades from world over for its tourism initiatives, are all geared up for a tough test during Kurinji 2018. However, Munnar calls for a long-term investment from the government to keep intact the prime tourism status it enjoys.
