Cleanliness and Order are not matters of instinct; they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them…Benjamin Disraeli.
Cleanliness has to be a movement beginning at home, spreading to schools and working towards educating the new generation and giving a new meaning to citizenship…. Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
I have lived most of my life in Kodagu and have witnessed humungous changes every decade – especially since the beginning of this century. Demographic changes, huge uptick in weekend and long holiday tourism, change in the landscape, deteriorating infrastructure, extreme demands on natural resources and worst of all pollution and garbage. We have reached a stage where we need to speak honestly about what is happening – if we don’t, sadly there may be nothing to speak about.
There are some sights that should make every Kodagu resident angry, not because they are shocking, but because they reveal how casually we have begun to destroy what generations protected. The disturbing photographs and videos circulating on social media says everything. A man throwing garbage into the river at Kondangeri Bridge where tourists were seen carrying a large bag of waste towards the Kaveri, is not merely an act of littering. It is a desecration of our sacred river that gives life to this land. It is a simple act, but it exposes a much larger disease. Our growing sense of entitlement to pollute public spaces because someone else will clean up the mess.
Kodagu is not a picnic spot where visitors can arrive with their food, empty their bottles and packets and leave their garbage behind for someone else to clean. What makes this more painful is the hypocrisy. We are proud to tell the world that Kodagu is the birthplace of the sacred Kaveri, a land of forests, rugged hills, streams – making it a sacred landscape that is revered by those who have lived here from time immemorial. We advertise its beauty, invite tourists to experience its greenery and rivers and then watch helplessly as the very places they come to admire are slowly buried under plastic bottles, food waste and other rubbish.
Tourism cannot mean “I enjoy your beauty, you deal with my waste“. And the responsibility does not belong only to tourists. Where are the authorities? Where is the enforcement? Where are the penalties? Where is the accountability? Kodagu cannot continue to welcome Lakhs of visitors without simultaneously building a culture of responsible tourism. Tourist spots need proper waste management systems, regular monitoring, strict fines and above all enforcement. A warning board alone means nothing if nobody is held accountable for violating it.
But let us also look inward. You cannot blame outsiders for everything. How many of us local residents throw plastic without any consideration of the consequences? How many leave bottles beside roads after gatherings? How many participate in celebrations and carelessly leave the mess behind? Environmental responsibility does not begin at the check post when a tourist enters Kodagu. We are all collectively responsible.
The Kaveri is not just another river. She flows through our memories, our fields, our villages and our lives. She feeds people far beyond Kodagu. She is worshipped, revered and celebrated. Yet reverence means nothing if our hands that fold in prayer are the same hands that throw plastic into her waters and the countryside. We cannot demand that the government protect Kodagu while we ourselves treat its forests and rivers as dumping grounds and we certainly cannot call ourselves proud of Kodagu while allowing its lifelines to become garbage sites.
And to the people of Kodagu: This is our home. Cleanliness begins at home. We must stop behaving like helpless spectators.
The message must be blunt. Carry your pleasant memories back. Carry your waste back too. Because once the Kaveri and many streams that flow into it are polluted, no photographs, no tourism campaign and no slogan will bring back what we have destroyed. Nature will tolerate things only upto a point and will strike once the endurance limits are crossed-we’re nearly there.
Now I would like to write about an evolution of celebrations of festivals – the intent is entirely to remind the historical and cultural backdrop of what mattered to Kodavas. The two biggest festivals historically celebrated in Kodagu were Puthari and Maha Shivaratri (under the Haleri influence). It was a yearly custom to invite people of Nads to Madikeri and the three other palaces (Nalaknad, Garvale and Haleri) to entertain and celebrate. Kodavas from different Nads, used to sing their National Songs and perform their folk dances and were rewarded for their skills. During Maha Shivratri, Madikeri was lit up with lamps. The fact is that Puthari was the pre-eminent festival. The change happened in 1969, when the then President of Madikeri Municipality, K.S. Appachu, formed the first Dasara Committee and united the Bhajana Mandiras and Karaga Temples, allowing for a mass procession of scale, which led to the Madikeri Dasara becoming a public festival.
Prior to this, festivals were celebrated at the AinManes spread across Kodagu. It was an occasion for massive cleaning up activities, sharing, bonding and a community building exercise. The Dasara celebrations at present rival the main venue in Mysore in terms of intensity, cacophony, traffic jams and with the increasing scale, the environmental impact is questionable for noise, air and garbage pollution. The purpose of mentioning this is to highlight to all the organisers to spare a thought on the above issues and revert to the quiet and more environmentally friendly celebrations that the land can bear.
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Glad to see this post on social media.
Police have registered an FIR and seized a car after its driver was caught on video allegedly dumping garbage into the River Kaveri from a bridge near Kondangeri in Kodagu.
The video, which went viral on social media, showed a Ford EcoSport bearing registration number KA 04 MP 2266 stopping on the bridge before garbage was thrown directly into the river. The vehicle reportedly belongs to a Bengaluru resident.
Following public outrage over the incident, Kanthur-Murnad Gram Panchayat PDO Yadav lodged a complaint with the Madikeri Rural Police Station.
Kodagu Superintendent of Police Bindu Mani confirmed that a case has been registered against the driver and said the penalty will be imposed through the court.
The incident has once again raised concerns over irresponsible waste disposal and the pollution of the River Kaveri, one of Kodagu’s most important lifelines.
The reality though is that cleanliness has to become a way of life. Infrastructure has to be in place to “process segregated garbage”. It is a well established fact that over two-thirds of all garbage can be recycled.
A very important reminder that truly loving Kodagu means taking responsibility for it. Whether we are residents or visitors, respecting the land, keeping our rivers and surroundings clean, and celebrating responsibly is something we all need to practise. A timely and meaningful article.
It is particularly heartening to see your response Janan – when the younger generation connect with such issues it enriches the dialogue and makes it more meaningful. This is not to discount the importance of middle aged and senior citizens, but involving the guardians of the future is a critical step if we have to preserve and leave Kodagu as a better place than we found it. Thanks again for your insights and spread the word.
Ten years ago, a young boy from Assam came here by train, working as a labourer laying tiles in a room. Today, he has settled in one of our towns, owns a two bedroom house, is married, and his son is studying in a good private school. He even travels back home by flight.
Today, he called me asking if I could help him find a site anywhere in Coorg for around ₹20 lakhs.
After seeing the above article, I wouldn’t be surprised if I receive a call from a layout developer asking for his contact number. 🙃
What concerns me is that whenever we discuss the changes happening in Coorg, the blame seems to be placed on one particular industry. But hardly anyone is talking about the larger demographic change taking place around us , migrants settling permanently in Coorg, purchasing sites, houses and even land.
This is not about blaming migrants or denying anyone the right to work and build a better life.
But we cannot ignore the fact that permanent settlement through land purchases is gradually changing the demographic and social landscape of Coorg.
We need to ask ourselves: Who is buying our coffee lands? Who is converting them into layouts? Who is purchasing sites and settling here permanently? And what will Coorg look like for the local communities in another 10 or 20 years?
The change is happening right in front of us. We need to acknowledge it and have an honest conversation about it rather than blaming just one industry.
I know we think alike (at least I think so – on most issues!). While debating with the Editorial team on what matters for Kodagu over the next few decades to secure our identity and preserve the landscape, the alarming change in demographics comes right amongst the top concerns.
My response is slightly different – very marginally so, but important. We Kodavas have to have the humility and respect the dignity of labour in undertaking all kinds of entrepreneurial initiatives. From improving our work ethic to running shops, garages, electricals, dealerships – just about everything that “others” successfully operate, realise value and then “create” assets. This is what our ancestors did – worked the lands with their own hands and helped each other build plantations. There are coffee distributors/traders who have bought large estates, real estate and more – ultimately from the margins they make from the coffee that we sell.
Also, they take loans (leverage debt wisely) for CREATING BUSINESSES and not buying luxury cars, building oversized houses for others to see and are at work all through the year. Their shops never shut.
We must shamelessly learn from their successes and only then can we prosper and earn the right to be the guardians of our beloved Kodagu and spread Kodavaame.
A very timely and thought-provoking article by Mamtha Subbaiah. My compliments to her for highlighting not only the alarming changes taking place in Kodagu, but also how our festivals and traditions have evolved over the years.
The reference to celebrations at our Ainmanes is particularly relevant. Festivals were once occasions for cleaning, sharing, bonding and community participation, with celebrations that respected the land and its limitations. Today, the scale of tourism and festivities has brought with it noise, traffic, plastic and garbage.
The question is: what can we do about it?
We need to turn concern into a people’s movement — starting with our homes and schools, making festivals and tourist destinations responsible and largely zero-waste, protecting our rivers and forests, and demanding proper waste management and strict enforcement from the authorities.
But we must also look inward. We cannot blame tourists and outsiders for everything. Every resident has a responsibility.
Let us create a simple culture in Kodagu: Carry your memories with you — and carry your waste back.
Our Kaveri, forests and mountains have sustained generations. It is now our responsibility to protect them for the generations to come.
Thank you for sharing your views and reinforcing the need to make this a serious movement amongst the residents of Kodagu. Once we unite, we are indeed capable of accomplishing anything that we set our hearts to achieve. The District Administration will most certainly support if they see the commitment of the local residents.
I fully agree with Ms Subbaiah’s sentiments, but the answer to this problem is to ban all home stays and resorts. In the earlier dream world of our ancestors, there were after all no such commercial tourism activities in agriculture lands. Even as per law, it is strictly not encouraged. Thirty years ago there were no home stays and the environment was relatively pure, simple, peaceful and safe. No traffic jams, congestion ,hooliganism, strewn garbage, Spice and Condiments shops, weekend traumas.
The need of the humans (read planters) were met by hard work and nature. Wants were relatively frugal with good healthy community living where interdependence was the order of the day.
See what damages the “alternative source” has done which cannot be undone in many years to come. The practical way forward is to limit the Homestays to WELL MANAGED and PROPERLY REGULATED UNITS. Tourism has to be limited to manageable numbers – else the district will collapse under the present chaos that prevails over the peak days of uncontrolled visitors similar to what has happened in many countries like Portugal, Spain, Greece….. where they have begun to abhor tourists.
Your observations are spot-on Sir. When we talk about Responsible Tourism, it should be extended to Responsible Homestays too.
Thought provoking article.
By now, we all understand the issue. It is time, now all stakeholders start addressing it. Coorg is hit hard by tourist waste followed by absence of concrete steps to address it. There are examples of good governance around us. Let’s just pick the time tested solutions and implement it with periodic monitoring and course corrections. We definitely need tourists, local community and administration coming together to make it work.
Madam, I really wish people like you were in charge of the district administration in Kodagu. It is one thing to be empowered to protect Kodagu,but it is a far better prospect to have people passionate towards Kodagu doing so. Sadly our lands have often been administered by those who never belonged to them.
Deeply honoured by your comment – but am afraid people like us cannot win elections and work under those who “win” it. But the fact is that if we stand united hand make those in power “answerable” they will have no choice but to perform. The people should demand periodic assessments of work done vis-a-vis plans, instead of books being self-published praising themselves, timed to be released before the elections.
Very well written. Our festivals should celebrate our culture without damaging the land, rivers and surroundings that define it. Organisers and participants, must consciously act to reduce waste, noise pollution and ensure that our celebrations remain within what nature can sustain. Tradition should not mean simply preserving how we celebrate, but also preserving the land on which those traditions were born.
Thank you for your supportive message. Much appreciated.
I like the simplicity of the tone of the article by Ms Mamatha Subbaiah, a hallmark of her style. Her articles always connect with the priorities for Kodagu and the administrators, community leaders and politicians as they are well meaning and laced with practical wisdom.
With the change in demographics and loss of control of administration from Kodagu to a State with broader priorities, the needs of Kodagu barely gets noticed. Take the really important point on Dussehra celebrations in Madikeri and Gonikoppal – where is the need for such loud and expensive indulgences. Mysore celebrates and has been the center of Dussehra for ages – why spread this?
Puthari is Kodagu’s primary festival celebrated in rural surroundings with a minuscule amount of disturbance compared to Dussehra. Puthari should revert to being the primary festival for Kodagu. It will also avoid the negative impact on light/noise pollution and the unmanageable garbage.
Thank you for your consistent support Appaiah – hugely value your feedback.
The message has to reach the concerned politicians. Charge a nominal amount to every tourist that enters Kodagu. Money received has to be monitored. Proceeds should be professionally utilized for upkeep. It will also create awareness.
The only way forward for the well meaning content of the article to become a reality is public debate. There is no other way. Fines should be strictly imposed. It is possible to implement if the District Administration and Political leaders put their heads together.
Thrilled to see your value adding comment Anil Anna. I wish the community leadership would act in unison and take this suggestion forward.
Well written article by mamatha..
As noted by her i too spent decades watching the the swift changes, in kodagu out of which most of them are disturbing to the majority of residents even though very few may have been benefitted from tourism, like homestays, villas or weekend holiday homes..
Small beautiful dwindling roads in between the valleys are witnessing fast paced vehicular traffic which have reckless driving, adding chaos in the small towns in Kodagu especially on weekends, reminds us of the famous Bengaluru chaotic traffic..
Well adding to the garbage menace in the district, the tourists now barge on secluded serene sacred places like holy malma, where devotees go only 5 times in a year …
The roads to Kotebetta , once the most sacred and beutiful abode of lhe lord, now has a highest number of unplanned traffic.. most of them barge into the holy hill sometimes with footwear adding to the agony…villagers have given up requesting the tourists not to litter ..many incidents happened on this place which ultimately shows the sorry state of littering..And mind you it is not guarded always.especilly in the rainy season. none of the local authorities could control desecration..
It reminds me of each clean kodagu households decades ago..why they’re self reliant with respect to nature and waste management..
They had their own poultry, piggery, cattle shed, a kitchen garden which grew vegetables and a organic pit which took care of all the waste..
Most of the parcels of foods had the wrapping of half burnt plantain leaves..
But sadly none of these practices are active as the restaurants attract tourists with the tag of kodava cuisine wrapped in plastic and aluminium foils which are thrown away mindlessly on serene spots and all over kodagu..
Your comment is well made and has been echoed in Mr Kuttappa’s views too. Twenty years ago Kodagu was peaceful and quality of life was perhaps better too. Could it be that our aspirations have exceeded reality? Are social pressures destroying our hallmark of leading simple lives? I’m told that Madikeri has SWIGGY for food delivery and the Kitchen’s of the Clubs are busy because home kitchens are not as active as they once were!
Very well said. Kodagu’s beauty, culture and traditions are our collective inheritance, and protecting them is our collective responsibility. Celebrations and tourism should strengthen our connection with the land, not leave behind pollution and waste. It is time to rediscover the simplicity and respect for nature that were once integral to our way of life. Let us celebrate responsibly, keep Kodagu clean, and leave behind a better Kodagu for the next generation.
The initiative by COHERA on Swacha Kodagu Sundara Kodagu Abhiyana was a fantastic success that showed that we are capable people when we WANT TO BE and ACT IN A UNITED MANNER. When we go to Singapore we behave. Why are we different at “home”?
“Take your garbage with you” will never happen. We need sturdy garbage cans and huge disposal containers at public places where the garbage is created, and which are cleared by cleaning stuff every hour or two, (not once a day or week or never) depending on the traffic and popularity of the site. It will also discourage the polluters from driving afar to dispose off their garbage in an unmonitored spot.. This methodology does require a big upfront investment in staff and garbage transport vehicles which only the govt admin can provide. We should pressure the govt to provide those funds through our law/political representatives
Without any doubt infrastructure has to be provided by the District Administration. Wish they would use the budget for Dussehra Celebrations alongwith the enormous “collections” from businesses and put in place these basic facilities.
A timely and thought-provoking article by Mamatha Subbaiah – she always manages to bring relevant topics to the table. Loving Kodagu means protecting its land, rivers, forests, and communities.
Environmental responsibility is a shared obligation. The Kaveri River and Kodagu’s natural beauty cannot be taken for granted; once damaged, they may never fully recover.
As festivals and tourism continue to grow, we must preserve the connection between culture, community, and cleanliness. Responsible tourism, effective waste management, consistent enforcement, and individual accountability are essential.
Visitors should take their memories with them—and their waste as well. the alert on the forthcoming Dussehra festival is extremely important.
Over the past few days I have read numerous reports of elected leaders visiting Kodagu – praying at Bhagamandala praying for rain and discussing the escalating human-elephant conflict. The Gods have answered their prayers with timely showers (cloud seeding elsewhere!). Although Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) was not mentioned in the article, HEC will not get solved with “discussions”. The large animals NEED FOOD. It is cheaper and more practical to create the equivalent of “food parks” within the game sanctuaries and reserve forests, as is the case in Hathikuli in Assam and some places in Sri Lanka. If the Firest Department is really held responsible through participation on a public-private partnership basis, much can be done. The problem is there is a HUGE TRUST DEFICIT. Politicians and Administrators must act with groups like the Coorg Wildlife Society and similar organisations and DELIVER.
Kodagu is a shared responsibility. Protecting it today is the greatest gift we can leave for future generations.
Thank you for your response, Rajesh. The point you make on HEC problem resolution is practical and can be implemented. TRUST is lacking. At the end of the day, elected “public servants” forget that service before self, the motto of the Indian Army, should be adopted by them also as their motto.
A very timely and thought provoking article. We often talk about protecting our land and rivers, but the real change has to come from our everyday behaviour. Tourism, celebrations and development are all important, but they should never come at the cost of the environment that makes Kodagu what it is. A good reminder that respecting the land is ultimately respecting ourselves and our future generations.
Your prompt messages are always an inspiration. Thank you.
A very timely and thought-provoking article. Loving Kodagu cannot simply mean admiring its mountains, forests and the sacred Kaveri; it must also mean taking responsibility for protecting them. The reminder to carry our waste back along with our memories is simple but powerful.
The historical perspective on Puthari, Maha Shivaratri and the evolution of Madikeri Dasara is especially meaningful. Our traditional celebrations were centred around community, culture, cleanliness and togetherness. As festivals and tourism have grown, perhaps it is time to rediscover that spirit and ensure that our celebrations do not come at the cost of the land we celebrate.
Whether resident or visitor, we all have a responsibility. If we truly take pride in Kodagu, that pride must be reflected in how we treat its rivers, forests, culture and heritage. A much-needed reminder for all of us.
Thank you for your thoughtful message Kaverappa. We met at the book launch at Coorg Wilderness Resort.
A gentle but important reminder that love for the land must be expressed through care, not merely admiration.
The beauty we inherit carries with it a responsibility to protect, preserve and pass it on.
Respect for nature is, in the end, respect for ourselves and for those who come after us.
Respect your views Kishore. Also thoroughly enjoy the infographics that you share with CLN readers. Most educative. I understand that you’re originally from Wayanad (which was part of Coorg). The negative impact of tourism – especially the “luxury” category has been extraordinary. Resort Owners and Property Developers get away with statements such as this … “The future of luxury lies in living closer to nature, with a deeper sense of connection, ease and belonging. It is about creating spaces that preserve what exists and, wherever possible, enhance it.”