Karnataka's new trekking rules: State moves to tighten safety after missing incidents

New trekking regulations for Karnataka state have been drafted by the government after many missing cases were reported from trekking areas in the forests. The forest minister, Eshwara Khandre, ordered authorities to form an SOP with strong provisions and use technology for tracking.

How Karnataka's new trekking rules will affect the trekking safety in the state?

These recent happenings have prompted such a move. Recently, a lady trekker from the state of Kerala named Sharanya was missing for three days after going on an adventure in the mountains of Tadiandamol in Kodagu. Another instance where a minor female trekker went missing in the mountains of Chandradrona is a matter of concern.

As per the Karnataka’s new trekking rules, an SOP is to be framed by the Forest Department for all treks. This SOP will include guidelines on the safety aspects of trekking and control over the route as well as coordination among field personnel, rescue parties, and higher authorities.

The use of technology will feature prominently in the trekking regulations. This would include the scaling up of the e-Patrolling scheme by the Forest Department, along with designing an application that can track trekkers. The application would be installed in the phones of trekkers only for the duration of their travel. The technology would operate somewhat like the M-STRIPES software utilized in tiger reserves.

Mandatory group insurance for all trekking teams is another important aspect. This will ensure that any accidents or emergencies are covered by funds. The authorities feel that this will be an essential addition to enhance the safety of the trekkers in the forests.

The guide accountability will also be increased. Guides of nature who take trekkers for their tours will have to carry communication equipment such as wireless devices and will be in constant touch with the forest department officials and rescue squads. Their duties will be well-defined.

The purpose of the Karnataka’s new trekking rules is to ensure safety and order during all trekking activities within Karnataka. The officials believe that when these regulations along with other factors like insurance and training of guides come into play, there would be less likelihood of losing contact with trekkers.

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