Tourists entering the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal hill stations are mandated to obtain an e-pass from May 7, until June 30. The e-pass system aims to reduce congestion and the pressure on resources during the peak summer months.
The Nilgiri Hills are part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Nilgiris are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including several endemic species. The region hosts evergreen forests, grasslands, and shrublands. They are also home to the Nilgiri tahrs, Indian elephants, and a variety of birds and insects.
In April the Madras High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to implement an electronic pass (e-pass) system to data on the number and type of vehicles entering the Nilgiri Hills during the summer season to understand the challenges faced by the residents and natural ecosystem.
Madras HC orders an E-pass
A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy was astonished by a status report from the State government revealing that approximately 20,000 vehicles—including 11,500 cars, 1,300 vans, 600 buses, and 6,500 two-wheelers—enter the Nilgiris daily through eight check posts at Kallar, Kunjapanai, Nadugani, Kakkanallah, Thalur, Choladi, Geddai, and Pattavayal during the summer. They questioned how elephants could cross the roads with such heavy traffic.
Justice Chakravarthy expressed concerns about the severe drought prevailing in the Nilgiris, noting that even residents are struggling to find water. He questioned how tourists would manage, especially since Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudalur, and Nelliyalam can accommodate more than 20,000 tourists at a time.
The court also noted, “Human beings cannot exist on earth without bio-diversity and it is critical to preserve such pristine places in the interest of all humans.”
The judges clarified that there should be no limit on the issuance of e-passes by the Nilgiris and Dindigul Collectorates, and that residents should be exempt from requiring them. The judges also instructed the Collectors to give extensive publicity to the e-pass system.
Tourists planning to visit Kodaikanal must apply for e-passes online through the website, epass.tnega.org. “The entire process of online application and automatic issuance of e-passes takes only a few minutes. However, people are advised to obtain their e-pass before reaching the toll gate near Silver Falls to avoid traffic congestion on the Ghat road,” an official stated.
Conservationists and Residents welcome the move
The new e-pass registration system has been welcomed by local residents and conservationists alike. They believe that collecting data during the peak tourist season, from 7 May to 30 June, will be the first step towards creating a more sustainable tourism model.
This judgment has been a demand of local activists for the past two to three years, according to N. Sadiq Ali from the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust based in Ooty. “Almost 30% of tourists visit Mudumalai, Emerald Lake, or go towards Gudalur. They lack discipline, litter, try to feed the wild, and they throw plastic inside the forest. We have seen many cases of animals like elephants and deer eating this food with plastic and later facing death.” He said that while the e-pass system might cause concern among tourists and potentially foster better behaviour, it is unlikely to have a significant impact.
Animal activist Antony Rubin welcomes the initiative, stating, ” This is the e-pass to study the population and movement as there is no data about the influx and tourist footfall, the next step would be deciding to restrict numbers as every space has its carrying capacity. Plying vehicles bring pollution and ecological damage and Ooty and Kodaikanal are close to forests.” He adds that e-passes provide local administrations with time to plan for the influx and manage waste and water resources. Further saying, “It offers a comprehensive overview to help prevent entry into wildlife areas.”
He suggests that a foolproof data collection method could involve installing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at all entry points to record the number of vehicles entering and leaving each hill station.
However, some residents believe the system needs adjustments to ensure the collection of reliable data. Ajay Ludra, a resident of the Nilgiris, commented, “The ‘purpose of visit’ field on the website requires users to select from options such as tourism, business, agriculture, and others, but it does not accommodate residents travelling in vehicles not owned by them.”
In such situations, a resident would need to register as a tourist and enter a fictitious exit date, Ludra explained. He also suggested that the system of e-passes must be extended for a year so that a more accurate dataset can be collected to fix a carrying capacity for both the Ghat road leading to the Nilgiris as well as for the district itself.
Initial results of e-pass implementation
Around 70,000 e-passes have been issued since May 7 to 14, allowing vehicles to enter Kodaikanal.
Nonetheless, the Kodaikanal Hotel and Resort Owners’ Association highlights a downside of the e-pass as fewer tourists are visiting the hill station this year. According to the association’s president, Abdul Gani Raja, the mandatory e-pass requirement for entry between May 7 and June 30 has contributed to a reduction in tourist arrivals. However, Raja claims this is also the impact of the government not creating proper awareness about the e-pass being free of cost.
The e-pass registration has reduced the footfall of tourists in the hills however, only after the data from this pilot project is analysed and evaluated will the experts be to determine future conservation strategies and sustainable development of other projects.