Ulupooni: Trekking activities that have recently flourished in the Ulupooni region are leaving a trail of damage across forest and farmland, with residents accusing forest officials of allowing the disturbance of protected land in the name of tourism.

In the Ulupooni region, vehicle-based trekking is being permitted through several stretches of forest land as well as farmland. A fee of ₹150 is collected per jeep for the trek, while private vehicles are not allowed entry. Visitors are instead required to hire taxi jeeps from the locality and pay the fare charged by them.

Local residents allege that this arrangement points to a tacit understanding between local taxi operators and the Forest Department. Vehicles are allowed to pass only after paying the fee at a barricade set up across the road used for trekking. There have also been complaints that even cyclists who attempted to pass through the route were stopped recently.

Residents, meanwhile, say that trekking activities involving vehicles are damaging both the roads and the surrounding land, turning the routes into muddy tracks. They allege that the regular movement of vehicles during the summer loosens the soil and damages the grass covered hillocks of Vagamon. During the monsoon, heavy runoff could further erode the area and lead to large scale degradation of the landscape.

They also claim that the land used for trekking belongs to the Forest Department and that a case related to the issue is currently pending before the High Court. Local residents are now demanding that trekking activities that threaten the fragile environment of Ulupooni be stopped.