Kodai erupts in protests as Nilgiris bar tourism

Published on : Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Hundreds of business people who rely on tourism activities for income protested at Moonjikkal inKodaikanalon Monday and urged the state government to allow tourism activities to continue in the hill station as their livelihoods were at stake.

The state government has banned tourism in Kodaikanal and Nilgiris and also ordered closure of tourist spots from Tuesday onwards. “However, the district borders are not closed. People visiting the hill district on trade or medical purposes or on essential services will be allowed on producing relevant documents”, said Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya.

“Special teams will be deputed at the border check posts to check documents to ascertain purpose of visit to the district. Movements of essential services will be allowed,” she added.

Protesting against the decision of the government, members of hoteliers association, cab drivers’ association and guides in Kodaikanal sat on a dharna at Moonjikkal. The protest lasted for more than three hours. The hoteliers and cab drivers warned of more protests if the government did not pay heed to their demands.

A Abdul Kani Raja, secretary of Kodaikanal Hoteliers Association said, “We informed all the associations only at 10pm on Sunday about the protest through social media. But the response was overwhelming. People are agitated due to the travel restrictions to Kodaikanal as the economy here completely depends on tourism,” he said.

In Nilgiris, the Government Botanical Garden, Rose Garden,Ootylake and Sim’s Park in Coonoor will remain closed till April 30.