Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve - Equitable Tourism Options

anging from RS.900 to RS.1 S00 per month only according to their
experiences. For positions like Managers and Marketing personnel, no local
have been employed.
Mushrooming of these kinds of resorts could be attributed to the following
facts.
a) Inaction of the forest department by not providing adequate
accommodation facilities in and around Mudumalai Sanctumy which in
turnforms a basis for tourism boom in Masinagudi.
b) Illegal operations of resorts in terms of clearly violating forest laws by
organizing night safaris, hunting, trekking in not permissible trek routes, w hi c h
lures tourist to venture into this kind of adventure tourism.
C) Bird watching camps organized byexperls is a strategy being adopted by these
resorts.
All resorts are said to be claiming that strict implementation of environmental
guidelines and ethics were the core ideas, which would be forming the basis
for establishing eco-tourist resorts. In the name of eco-tourism, development
of golf courses, provision of night safaris, bird watChing, trekking in to
protected forest areas, facilities of Air-Conditioning to rooms, swimming
pools, elephant riding- all these activities are carried out by resorts. These
resorts are not applying for any kind of permission for launching such a resort
business and erecting huge accommodation facilities that are not
compatible with any standards but what they do commonly is applying for
formal license without furnishing adequate information to the Panchayats
and got duly certificate of building licenses after payment of some nominal
fee. Panchayats are also granting such licenses with a view to collect some
revenues, which are reeling under severe financial pressures and
constraints. Diverse linguistic groups such as Tamils, Kannadigas and
Malayalis living together in this village and a large chunk of migrant
population mostly Government servants who have throng this tiny village for
working in three power units such as Singara, Moyar and Singara Stage II.
Malayalis own all small shops, hotels and motels in Masinagudi.
Nilagiris: Fading Glory 20