Online registration hailed, but trekkers want slots available on weekly basis

Bengaluru: Many trek clubs and trekkers are happy with online registration being made mandatory for trekking expeditions in state forests, but believe it should be implemented properly.Around 40-50% of the people who register and book slots don't end up going on treks. As a result, others are denied the chance, as only 300 people can visit the peaks each day. Many trekkers are also peeved with the costly entry fee of Rs 575 that has to be paid at the entry point of trekking trails to the forest department. To control the increasing footfall and protect forests, the department has started a portal — Aranya Vihara — making it mandatory for trekkers to book slots by registering online first. Later, the trekkers pay the department at the checkposts near the trekking hills. Talking about Kumara Parvatha trails, Jaideep Zukti, founder of Pathika trek club, said, "The trails see the most visitors at this time. They are open to the public from Oct to Feb. In Jan, 4,000 people arrived in a single day, overwhelming the sanctuary. It's good that online registration has been introduced to limit the number of daily visitors. Registration must be done early, often on the first of the month... Many register without confirming plans."Zukti shared that instead of opening the registration for the entire month at once, slots must be made available on a weekly basis to ensure greater flexibility for trekkers. "People who aren't interested will also not at least register for the future and plan accordingly, which leaves a chance for other trek enthusiasts," he said.Harshith Shetty, 29, a member of Trek and Stay club, added a better registration and cancellation system is needed. "At least 40% of those who register typically don't turn up, leaving the slots wasted and depriving others of the chance to visit. This trend is common across several popular treks in Karnataka, where people randomly book slots without a firm plan," he said.‘Unwarranted' price riseMohana Beeregowda, 31, a member of Karavan trek club, bemoaned the prices. "The entry fee has jumped from Rs 100 in 2018 to Rs 575 now. Even after Covid, the fee was somewhere around Rs 400. There's no justification for this jump. It's just a forest trail with no additional infrastructure or services added. Restrictions like a daily cap of 300 persons, plastic bans, and no camping are all positive, but the price increase is unwarranted," he said.A forest department official told TOI, "Recently, the minister announced that all processes, including payments, will soon be shifted online. So far, only registration is online, but by the end of this month, even payments will go online, making it easy for trekkers."
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