There are at least 40 homestays and resorts operating in and around Sakaleshpur forests
Tourists enjoying Rafting. (Photo: DC)
Bengaluru: Three days after a techie from Chennai was ‘lost and found’ inside the Western Ghats of Sakaleshpur, the Forest Department has zeroed in on the homestays and resorts in the region for giving out false information to the adventure companies. Now the Forest Department is planning to summon the homestays and resorts operating in Sakaleshpur close to the forests.
The department has noticed that some of the homestays, which are located close to the Western Ghats, are luring tourists on websites claiming to have permission to trek inside the deep jungles of the Western Ghats of Hassan District.
“No trekking group can find their way or take up an expedition without the help of local persons. This is a serious trend and numbers of people are risking their lives by trekking with homestay staff and resort workers. In the last two years it has become a big business for the resort owners in Sakaleshpur. There are district level committees of homestays and resorts and in the next meeting we will be tackling these issues,” Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hassan District, Mr Ganesh Bhat, said.
The officer said that there are at least 40 homestays and resorts operating in and around Sakaleshpur forests, and those involved in spreading false information about trekking routes inside the Western Ghats will be booked under wildlife laws. “We don’t give any permission for trekking in Hassan as the terrain in difficult and filled with elephant herds. The area is also on the radar of Naxalites in Karnataka, hence there is no question of giving any permission for trekking,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, the court has granted bail to all the trekkers who had come to Sakaleshpur from Hassan after they were booked under various forest acts. “All the team members were booked under Section 24 of Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, for illegally entering the Reserve Forest. The event organiser Mr Peter, a Belgium national, is the main accused and he will be tried after consulting the Belgium Consulate.’’
( Source : dc )
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