Emphasising that the study focused on Vagamon tourism and its aftermath and that it was conducted at the behest of the local residents, Jananeethi executive director George Pulikuthiyil said the damage being done to the eco-systems and the terrain by the upcoming resorts and the flow of tourists was huge and shocking.
Here it may be mentioned that Vagamon, situated 100 km from Kochi and 64 km from Kottayam, at an altitude of 1,100 metres above sea level, is surrounded by the lush greenery of tea gardens, beautiful meadows, deep puzzling valleys and dales.
It is a trekker's paradise and is currently being promoted as one of Kerala's foremost eco-tourism spots.
At the Global Investors' Meet (GIM) held in Kochi on January 18 and 19 this year, several leading business groups, including those from abroad, have expressed interest in Vagamon, where 1,800 acres of land is being developed as a 'holistic health destination'.
Quoting extensively from the findings of the said study, Pulikuthiyil said, "These upcoming resorts are blocking the naturally formed streams. And the tourist vehicles that ply on the silken hills have disturbed the natural quiet, shaken the soil, loosened the rocky structures and disturbed the entire ecology of the area. All these have caused uneasiness in the minds of the local inhabitants.
