Why not fix a cap on number of tourist vehicles entering the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal, asks High Court 

Madras High Court considers capping tourist vehicles to hill stations to prevent environmental degradation and road congestion.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday began mulling the possibility of fixing a cap on the number of tourist vehicles that could be permitted to hill stations such as the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal during the summer between April and June this year.

A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy suggested a maximum of 10,000 tourist vehicles a day could be permitted to the hill stations but decided to take a final call after hearing Advocate-General P.S. Raman on March 13.

Expressing deep anguish over the environmental degradation of the two hill stations due to uncontrolled tourist activity over the years, the Bench wanted the State government to come up with innovative ideas for ensuring quality tourism.

The judges said private tourist cars and motorcycles could be restricted up to a point in both the hill stations from where the tourists should be asked to board only government electric buses with glass tops to enjoy the beauty of the hill stations.

This would prevent the unsavoury experience of the ghat roads getting choked with motor vehicles that move inch-by-inch during the tourist season and also considerably reduce the huge number of road accidents, the judges said.

Amici curiae Chevanan Mohan and Rahul Balaji impressed upon the necessity for the State government to come up with innovative ideas till the expert teams from IIT-Madras and IIM- Bangalore submit their study reports on fixing the carrying capacity of the ghat roads.

Mr. Mohan told the court that in 2024 the Division Bench had made e-pass mandatory to visit the hill stations and therefore it was time to impose regulations to ensure that the pristine hills do not choke because of uncontrolled tourist movement.