<p>Thiruvananthapuram: A crackdown on the rampant illegal tourism activities in Wayanad is on the cards in the wake of the recent death of a 25-year-old woman after a hut collapsed in a resort near Mepadi in Wayanad.</p><p>The district administration has directed the tourism department to submit a report on all unauthorised and illegal tourism facilities in the district. Based on the report, steps will be taken to shut all such unauthorised facilities, government sources told DH.</p>.Kozhikode fire: Kerala Minister says deliberate attempt angle would also be probed.<p>While the tourism department officials are yet to ascertain the total number of such unauthorised tourism facilities, environmentalists estimate that there are over 2,500 such illegal resorts in Wayanad, mostly in and around the ecologically fragile Meppadi and Vythiri regions.</p><p>Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samathi (Wayanad nature protection forum) president N Badusha alleged that a major chunk of resorts in Wayanad were benami properties of influential people including politicians, police, revenue and forest officials. "Hence, a crackdown on the illegal activities would be possible only if the government has the will power."</p><p>The organisation also accused the political leaders of promoting tourism without giving consideration to the ecological sensitivity of the region. "The back to back natural calamities and man-animal conflicts are the outcome of the unrestricted and illegal tourism activities like setting up of illegal check dams on the mountain slopes and attracting wild animals towards resorts to please tourists," Badusha alleged.</p><p>A meeting of the forum demanded the government to draft a sustainable tourism plan for Wayanad and take stringent action against illegal tourism activities.</p><p>Meanwhile, manager K P Swachanth and supervisor Anurag K K of the resort where the woman tourist Nishma, a native of Malappuram, died were already arrested by the police on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. It was found that the hut and tents that collapsed were set up without permission from the local body.</p><p>Nishma was among a group of tourists staying in tents inside the hut. While others suffered injuries, internal injuries were said to have caused Nishma's death. Nishma's family has sought a detailed probe.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: A crackdown on the rampant illegal tourism activities in Wayanad is on the cards in the wake of the recent death of a 25-year-old woman after a hut collapsed in a resort near Mepadi in Wayanad.</p><p>The district administration has directed the tourism department to submit a report on all unauthorised and illegal tourism facilities in the district. Based on the report, steps will be taken to shut all such unauthorised facilities, government sources told DH.</p>.Kozhikode fire: Kerala Minister says deliberate attempt angle would also be probed.<p>While the tourism department officials are yet to ascertain the total number of such unauthorised tourism facilities, environmentalists estimate that there are over 2,500 such illegal resorts in Wayanad, mostly in and around the ecologically fragile Meppadi and Vythiri regions.</p><p>Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samathi (Wayanad nature protection forum) president N Badusha alleged that a major chunk of resorts in Wayanad were benami properties of influential people including politicians, police, revenue and forest officials. "Hence, a crackdown on the illegal activities would be possible only if the government has the will power."</p><p>The organisation also accused the political leaders of promoting tourism without giving consideration to the ecological sensitivity of the region. "The back to back natural calamities and man-animal conflicts are the outcome of the unrestricted and illegal tourism activities like setting up of illegal check dams on the mountain slopes and attracting wild animals towards resorts to please tourists," Badusha alleged.</p><p>A meeting of the forum demanded the government to draft a sustainable tourism plan for Wayanad and take stringent action against illegal tourism activities.</p><p>Meanwhile, manager K P Swachanth and supervisor Anurag K K of the resort where the woman tourist Nishma, a native of Malappuram, died were already arrested by the police on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. It was found that the hut and tents that collapsed were set up without permission from the local body.</p><p>Nishma was among a group of tourists staying in tents inside the hut. While others suffered injuries, internal injuries were said to have caused Nishma's death. Nishma's family has sought a detailed probe.</p>