Forest squads battle rise in illegal adventure trips in protected forests in Malabar region
GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Species, protected areas & wetlands· Prelims·
Why in news
Kerala Forest Department is cracking down on unauthorized trekking and adventure activities in Malabar and Wayanad wildlife sanctuaries to prevent habitat disruption.
Background
The Kerala Forest Act governs the protection of these areas. Unauthorized entry into protected forests like Valook and Wayanad leads to habitat fragmentation and necessitates high-cost search and rescue operations.
Facts for Prelims
- PlaceMalabar and Wayanad wildlife sanctuaries are located in the state of Kerala.
- Act / BillThe Kerala Forest Act regulates the entry and activities within protected forest areas.
- FactUnauthorized trekking activities are being promoted via social media groups to bypass official permits.
For Mains
Q. Discuss the conflict between the promotion of adventure tourism and the conservation of biodiversity in ecologically sensitive zones of India.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Habitat fragmentation: Human encroachment and noise pollution disrupting the breeding and migratory patterns of local fauna.
- Regulatory enforcement gap: Difficulty in monitoring decentralized social media-led trekking groups versus traditional forest patrolling.
- Resource diversion: High operational costs and manpower requirements for search and rescue operations in restricted zones.
Keywords: Habitat fragmentation · Ecologically sensitive zones · Regulatory oversight · Biodiversity conservation · Adventure tourism
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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.