Environmentalists flay Rahul Gandhi's campaign for Wayanad tourism

Thiruvananthapuram: A recent social media campaign by Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi for promoting Wayanad tourism has been strongly opposed by environmentalists of the high-range district.

The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi alleged that Rahul, who is a former MP of Wayanad and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, has become the brand ambassador of the tourism lobby that has been exploiting the ecologically sensitive district through unrestricted activities. They also that claimed that Rahul was not taking up serious issues faced by farmers, who constitute 80 per cent of the district's population.

The Congress leader had recently posted a 90-second video on his social media page urging tourists to visit Wayanad as there was a steep fall in the number of tourists visiting Wayanad after the devastating landslide of July 30 that claimed at least 400 lives. He highlighted the plight of those in the tourism industry.

A meeting of the Samithi, which has been constantly taking up the plights of the district, observed that the unrestricted tourism activities like illegal constrictions and encroachments on ecologically sensitive areas, obstructions and diversion of the natural water flows and activities like illegal off-road trips were reasons that aggravate the destructions caused by natural calamities. Hence, they said it was unfortunate that a person like Rahul Gandhi was backing it even though his grandmother former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi initiated a slew of measures for protecting nature.

The Samithi also said that the unrestricted tourism activities were also key reasons for various issues like man-animal conflict faced by farmers of Wayanad.

The illegal tourism activities in forest areas were also affecting the life at tribal hamlets of Wayanad.

The tourism industry, with the support of the ruling CPM and opposition Congress leaders, is commercialising the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, the Samithi said in a statement.