Mamatha Subbaiah’s palpable anguish can be felt strongly in her timely article. Tourism by itself is not to be scoffed at, but uncontrolled tourism and irresponsible vehicular traffic can be the death knell of any scenic destination. The much sought after peace at hill stations has become a veritable nightmare- as can be seen in the case of Mussoorie, Shimla, Matheran, Mahabaleswar, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Darjeeling, Kurseong and many more…
The EPass system introduced at Ooty was a miserable failure over the Christmas break. The fact is that we have too many people who justifiably want to take a break to clear their lungs from their city dwellings. The day-trippers from Bangalore and Mysore, the perplexing mushrooming of high end resorts in ecologically sensitive areas, the annoying multitude of shops, run invariably by migrants from the neighbouring state, that are an eye sore and seamlessly dot either side of the main roads, ostensibly selling “local spices and produce” (- where do they get the permits from?) are a perennially escalating problem and should be either scrapped or reduced to a bare minimum.
Talking independently to leadership at COHERA, large Resorts and select HomeStay owners, what is needed is a comprehensive blueprint for TOURISM in Kodagu. All stakeholders should be involved – from the District Administration – The DC, CEO of the Zilla Parishad, Tourism Department, Forest Department on the one hand, COHERA and other vested Resort/Homestay AND Community Organisations – preeminent amongst those being The Akhila Kodava Samaja. Thereafter an open discussion with the political representative to get their nod on the way forward. – CLN Newsdesk
Every year, without exception, Kodagu’s peace is shattered at the end of the year. The impact due to overcrowding causes untold ecological strew, water shortage to the extreme discomfort faced by the local residents, which I have written about repeatedly. The warnings continue to be ignored. The year end Holiday Rush merely exposes, in full glare, a crisis that has been building for years and now spiralling out of control.
This is no longer an observation, it is a pattern. As December draws to a close , calm gives way to chaos, silence to noise and routine life to disruption. What should be a season of reflection and rest turns into weeks of stress for residents. who are forced to endure the consequences of unregulated and uncontrolled tourism.
The signs are familiar and exhausting. Roads in Madikeri, Virajpet, Gonikoppa and surrounding villages choke with relentless ill-behaved and bad tempered traffic. What should be a ten minute commute stretches into an hour. Emergency vehicles struggle to move, pedestrians hesitate to step out, and local life is pushed aside to accommodate unchecked inflow. This is not an one-off failure, it is an escalating annual breakdown, snowballing out of control.
Inside homes, the strain deepens. Water becomes scarce just when demand peaks. Villages face restricted supply while tourist establishments function at full capacity. Women manage households by rationing, storing and adjusting, silently carrying the burden of scarcity. This imbalance has become the new normal, and that is perhaps the most disturbing part.
The aftermath is visible everywhere. Plastic waste is strewn across highways, estate roads, forest fringes and river banks. Local bodies are overwhelmed, and residents are left to clean what they did not create. The damage lingers long after the holiday crowds depart , leaving Kodagu to recover with solemn discomfort.
Kodagu now witnesses floods and landslides regularly. Residents remember floods and landslides, rebuilding homes fields and lives. When vehicles park recklessly on fragile slopes, tourists wander into forest and estate lands and construction continues without restraint, old anxieties resurface, ignoring ecological limits in a vulnerable hill district is beyond carelessness – it is recklessness.
Without doubt, Tourism is important to Kodagu’s economy. That truth is not disputed. But Tourism without regulation is exploitation and ultimately – ruin. Repeating the same mistakes every year and calling them ” Seasonal pressure ” is an abdication of responsibility. Carrying capacity norms, traffic control, water regulation and waste accountability cannot remain an occasional rant by a scribe. The Community and Administration MUST ACT. COHERA has shown new dynamism – perhaps they could raise the bar and make larger organisations become equally responsible.
The Administration should anticipate and take proactive steps in terms of preparedness. Ecological neglect and institutional indifference is unacceptable.
If this pattern continues, the cost will not be measured only in terms of inconvenience, but in irreversible damage to land, water and the lives rooted here from time immemorial.
Every year-end Kodagu is burdened this malaise – How much more can it take? The answer will depend on whether those in charge choose purpose over convenience, and regulation over silence. The end is nigh.
This is a compilation of comments from a group of concerned residents of Kodagu:
– The vehicular traffic getting out of Kodagu at Virajpet and Gonikoppal was mind numbing. Yet, we hear complaints that the home stays and Resorts were far from being fully occupied on New Year’s Eve.
– what does this translate to – the infrastructure is woefully inadequate?
– serious “substance” abuse is earning Kodagu a bad name. Who is selling these? Reportedly immigrants from a neighbouring state is exploiting the “rush” to Coorg by the city crowd. Dangerous developments if not nipped in the bud.
– it is bewildering to see new resorts mushrooming in the district. On what basis is clearance given?
– The same with petty/small Spice shops run by newcomers to the district – how can so many appear on the roadsides; is permission required?
– there are a number of purchases being made of large tracts of land reportedly by buyers from Andhra, Telangana Tamilnadu.. if one looks across the vast stretch of pristine forests from Madikeri/Galibeedu towards Kotebetta – you will witness the complete desecration of the once unadulterated scenic landscape. The first such land acquisitions was with a Five star resort being run by the country’s well known hospitality brand, then the sale of BBTC and now many, many more. There must be a limit to real estate greed and creating more resorts. It defeats all the tenets of responsible tourism. The series of transactions is quite revealing. Do these deals result in anything beneficial to the residents of Kodagu – the plain answer is NO.
The sacred land in Kodagu is NOT for real estate gambling – it is our heritage, lungs and much needed breathing space for all residents. When people from “outside” the district buy properties, there is no understanding about the sanctity of the land being purchased. The people selling the land are equally culpable. Why is this being allowed?
A wake up call for Kodagu, On 26th December & 29th December I was passing by Madikeri. Traffic was real chaos, I pity the police with limited force they were trying their best to control the traffic.
Is Kodagu geared up for this type of sudden influx of tourists?? Is it time for District authorities to take a call on Capping of Tourists inflow to Kodagu?? With youngsters from various parts of India moving in to celebrate New Year, hope district authorities are scanning on Drug mafia??!!
Its proper alert time for Kodagu…
This article serves as a timely reminder that kodagu is not designed for the unchecked inflow of tourists ,rampant construction, traffic congestion, waste management, and noise pollution. And all these are no longer minor inconveniences. Beautifully presented Mamatha, as always you have captured with honesty and sensitivity. Your articles pertaining kodagu is worth a read. Keep growing.
NEW YEAR WISH LIST:
1. Breathe Fresh Air
2. Eat unadulterated food
3. Veggies without poison
4. See the Sunrise over mountains before they are blasted and sold
5. Ride on roads without fearing potholes
6. CELEBRATE ALL FESTIVALS TOGETHER WITHOUT BEING TOLD WHO BELONGS WHERE
7. Maintain Sanity, switch off news anchors
And the list is incomplete without RESPONSIBLE TOURISM.
(Received as a forward of Sajith Kumar’s cartoon in Deccan Herald)
A lot has been written and commented upon in the timely article. Whether the Homestay’s are fully occupied or Resorts not sold out – the fact remains that the ill-effects of of tourism without a policy direction leads to chaos.
The road from Madikeri to Kushalnagar is chock-a-block with small shops. It is a major distraction with all kinds of vehicles making abrupt stops to buy uncertified produce. These shops are mostly run by people from outside with no commitment to quality – just make a quick buck and pay commission to the middleman driver who brought the unsuspecting tourist to the location. The travails of unchecked tourism.
The situation in Coorg can be succinctly summed up by the definition of unchecked tourism:
Unchecked Tourism Growth describes a rapid, poorly planned expansion of tourism activity that occurs without effective regulatory oversight, infrastructural capacity planning, or consideration for the environmental and socio-cultural carrying capacity of a destination.
COHERA recognises the seriousness of the issues highlighted and agrees that unchecked tourism is placing unsustainable pressure on Kodagu. Tourism must be regulated, responsible, and aligned with the region’s ecological carrying capacity.
COHERA is committed to working with the District Administration, community organisations, and other stakeholders to develop and support a comprehensive, sustainable tourism framework for Kodagu that protects both local livelihoods and the environment.
Traffic is just chaotic in the Nilgiris area. EPass has miserably failed. Administration is totally clueless.
The image itself is stark and depicts reality.
A lone peacock in a sea of cars!
Even though tourism is essential for growing Kodagu’s economy it becomes a menace if left unchecked. The impact of uncontrolled tourism results in unparalleled ecological damage leading to landslides, climate changes, water scarcity, piling of waste especially plastics. If this is left unchecked the land which we inherited will become unliveable.
The need of the hour is for all the stake holders to join and act together to evolve a comprehensive plan for a sustainable tourism for Kodagu.
The current narrative of blaming tourism and resorts for Coorg’s problems is incomplete and unfair. If we are serious about protecting the region and its people, we must be willing to speak honestly about the real causes.
First, land ownership did not change on its own. Large properties in Madikeri and across Coorg were sold by locals. Without these sales, outsiders could not have entered or established large businesses. The reasons are complex -family fragmentation, migration, lack of capital, and immediate financial pressures – but the fact remains: loss of local dominance happened gradually and from within. Blaming only entrepreneurs or tourists avoids this uncomfortable truth.
Second, infrastructure failure is the biggest contributor to today’s chaos, yet it is rarely blamed. Coorg has multiple arterial roads connecting Kerala, Mysuru, Hassan, and Mangaluru, but there has been no serious investment in bypasses, traffic zoning, public parking, or seasonal traffic management. Congestion at places like Gonikoppa during wedding seasons or at the Bittangala Perumbadi junction clearly shows that local and regional vehicular movement often exceeds tourist traffic. Anyone observing these junctions for a few hours will understand where the real pressure lies.
Third, there is selective outrage. Tourism businesses are targeted because they are visible and organised, while many other illegal or semi-legal activities escape scrutiny. Roadside petty shops, encroachments near junctions, unauthorised parking, and temporary structures along highways contribute significantly to congestion and safety risks. Who permits these? Are they all truly local enterprises? Why is enforcement inconsistent?
Regulation must apply to all sectors, not just tourism.
Fourth, the perception that “all resorts are full” is misleading. Apart from a handful of social-media-famous properties, many genuine resorts and homestays struggle to reach even 60–70% occupancy during peak periods like New Year. Traffic congestion creates the illusion of overcrowding, but concentrated movement through poorly planned roads is mistaken for excessive tourist numbers.
Most importantly, tourism itself is not the enemy. Entrepreneurs are not the enemy. Outsiders are not the primary enemy. The real issues are poor planning, weak infrastructure, selective enforcement, and the failure to empower local communities to lead and benefit from this industry.
The way forward is not resistance but participation. Coorg must focus on strengthening local ownership, supporting Kodava and local entrepreneurs, encouraging cooperative business models, and providing training in hospitality, management, and digital marketing. With fair regulation, better infrastructure, and inclusive policies, tourism can be a powerful tool to improve the local economy rather than a scapegoat for systemic failures.
If Coorg is to protect its future, it must move from blame to responsibility and from reaction to sustainable opportunity.
Very well written article showing the excessive tourist footfalls in a district which isn’t prepared or capable of handling the traffic or visitor’s in Coorg. The district administration knowing that there would be traffic snarls was not prepared to handle the holiday rush. Tne Tourism Department has failed in handling the situation.
Well written! As disposable income levels rise in India, so also the tourism. There are only that many places and the infrastructure is inadequate. Kodagu is one of them. Wyanad is another.
My niece bought a 5 acre plot on a hilltop and built a house she lives in – she complains about tourism and the crowds and cars congestion on the Meppadi Kozhikode roads!!
Every word is true. In addition the locals have to contend with the skyrocketing prices of household commodities placing a serious burden on the family budget.
A timely and hard-hitting article that captures the growing anguish of Kodagu’s residents. It makes clear that unregulated tourism has become a recurring, systemic problem —placing enormous strain on the infrastructure, ecology and daily life.
While tourism is an important aspect to complement the agricultural income of planters, the call for regulation, accountability and a comprehensive action oriented stakeholder-led plan is both necessary and urgent.