Kozhikode: The Chembra Peak which was closed in January due to drought in the hills will open for tourists after nine months on Monday, the District Tourism Promotion Council said in a press release.
When summer rains started, though there was much hue and cry to open the destination, the forest department which is its custodian refused to do so as the maintenance works of the road was on.
The tourism department had reconstructed the road from Meppadi to Chembra Peak spending Rs 1.8 crore.
Then there came the torrential rains that washed away a portion of the road and around 50 metres had to be rebuilt
However, the forest department has decided to restrict the number of tourists per day to 200. There were many protests from conservationists to limit the number of visitors to the ecologically fragile spot.
A massive wildfire had destroyed the grasslands earlier, infuriating the greens who demanded a blanket ban on entry of visitors to sensitive wildlife as well as ecological spots.
The Vana Samrakshana Samithy (VSS), a protection committee of local people that take care of the peak and the surrounding flora and fauna, had managed to identify the culprits who set fire to the grasslands and the forest department booked them.
Vehicles will reach up to the office of the VSS near the peak from where they have to trek up to the lake.
The 2-km stretch after the VSS office is a restricted area for vehicles.
The entry time is from 7 am to 1 pm.
