Blockbuster Malayalam movie 'Charlie' starring youth sensation Dulquer Salmaan played a significant role in making Meesapulimala, the second highest peak of the Western Ghats in Idukki, the favourite destination of travellers and trekkers. Meesapulimala, which is 2,640 m high, hardly disappoints the visitors who seek the impeccable charm of nature here. The floating clouds and the misty valleys draw hundreds of visitors every year to the mountain, which is about 35 km from Munnar.
The number of tourists visiting Meesapulimala has skyrocketed especially since the incredible success of the 2015 movie 'Charlie'. However, a mountain of plastic wastes and the stench of human excreta await those who visit Meesapulimala these days. As the amount of pollution went up alarmingly here, actor Dulquer himself intervened and took to his Twitter page with an appeal to protect the environment. He tweeted, “Be it #Meesapulimala or any scenic/tourist spot or historical site, I beg and plead all of you to not litter or throw plastic/garbage! Preserve our natural and historical heritage! Leave the pristine and untouched for our children and their children. Let’s try and leave every place cleaner after we visit. We make it a point at all our shoots to clean up after, be it #Charlie or #NPCB! #Nolittering #nothrowingplastics” (sic.)
Luckily, there is a perceptible drop in littering after the state government took strict actions to regulate the inflow of tourists to this place and to control pollution. However, those who reach Mesapulimala through the highly restricted path at Kolukkumalai continue to pollute the area. Meesapulimala is a natural habitat of the Nilgiri Tahr (varayadu), which is on the verge of endangerment. It is reported that these living beings die in huge numbers here after consuming human excreta.
Meesapulimala has been identified as one of the environmentally sensitive areas in Kerala, so it is advisable to refrain from littering this beautiful mountain with plastic and other wastes. Every visitor should ensure that the place is kept free from plastic waste and other forms of pollution. A sack or bag could be carried when you head for this amazing destination, so that when you return after enjoying the beautiful sceneries there, you can collect the waste that have been littering the mountain peak. This simple act would ensure that our natural heritages are preserved for the generations to come as well.
It would be ideal to go for the trekking after enquiring the details about the Meesapulimala trekking organised by the forest department. The illegal trekking via Kolukkumala is a punishable offence. There are attractive packages offered by the Kerala Forest Development Corporation to enjoy the beauty of Meesapulimala at reasonable rates.
It is ideal to spend the night at the base camp and begin the trekking by early next morning, enjoying the scintillating beauty of the sun rise.
