Chennai, September 18 (IANS) Nilgiris Forest Department has issued activities related to tourism that curbing a strict instruction inside a private tea estate, after an inspection it was discovered that the Estate Manager was collecting entry fees from visitors to see a colonial-era bungalow and surrounding places.
Officials said the action followed a tip-off that Governor Shola had a private tea property, bungalow and a nearby hanging bridge on social media near Shola, which should be in the form of tourists.
The place used as a background in some films, began to portray the important footfall. Estate staff is accused of charging a fee of Rs 100 per visitor as a “entry fee” and even imposing a fine on those who accidentally deviated into the property.
After inspection, forest personnel punished the property management with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
A case has also been registered under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882.
A senior forest official said, “No private property does not have the right to regulate or mud the tourism activities inside the reserve forest boundaries or nearby areas,”
The department has also deployed employees at the location to prevent tourists from entering the estate premises. Visitors who have reached the site have been away since then.
Officials said that it was necessary to ensure that protected forest areas should not be commercialized under the guise of private property rights.
Nilgiris has been a magnet for tourists for a long time, with its green tea estate and historical bungalows.
However, conservationists argue that uncontrolled tourist in ecological areas such as Governor Shola can cause environmental decline.
Forest officials have warned all private assets and fields against online or offline advertising tourism activities, saying that they should seek before the authorities before attaching to any such enterprise.
Crack is part of a comprehensive effort to regulate tourism in Nilgiris, where the line between private holdings and sensitive forest areas is often blurred.
Officials said the latest action should serve as a warning for other property owners who can try to take advantage of natural heritage sites for benefits without permission.
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Aal/svn