'Neelakurinji campaign aims to protect entire shola grasslands'
Munnar Walkatho
MUNNAR, October 1, 2026: The call to protect the Neelakurinji is not intended solely for the benefit of tourists, but to preserve the entire ecosystem of the shola grasslands, Idukki District Collector Dr. Dineshan Cheruvath said on Thursday.

Delivering the G. Raj Kumar Memorial Lecture online at the concluding ceremony of the Kurinji Walkathon, organised by the Save Kurinji Campaign Council (SKCC) and the Munnar Environment and Wildlife Society, Dr. Cheruvath emphasised that drinking water and basic necessities depend entirely on the survival of these grasslands. Agriculture, he added, can only thrive if soil, water, and nature are protected.

Noting that those opposing nature conservation are misaligned with the interests of farmers, the Collector stated that a predatory tourism lobby is operating under the guise of supporting the farming community. He also recalled that the Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan had announced that land encroachments and genuine migration would be addressed separately, warning that certain forces are attempting to undermine this balanced approach.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Pramod G. Krishnan told the meeting that the grasslands face an existential threat of extinction. "It is impossible to imagine a Munnar without Nilgiri tahrs, Neelakurinji, and the Muthuvan community," he noted.

M. J. Babu of SKCC, presided over the function, while KAFDC Managing Director Raju K. Francis distributed mementos. Munnar Wildlife Warden K. V. Harikrishnan, retired ACF James Zacharia, High Range Wildlife and Environment Association Chairman B. Pramod Krishnan, Adivasi Muthuva Samudaya Sangham President M. Pal Raj, P. R. Sreekumar, Sojan George, V. Vinod, and R. Mohan also spoke. Shilo K. Dev welcomed the gathering, and Mini Manoj proposed a vote of thanks.

Earlier, Devikulam Sub-Collector V. M. Arya flagged off the walkathon through Munnar town. About 50 nature lovers participated, including several veterans who had taken part in the first walkathon organised by G. Rajkumar from Kodaikanal to Munnar in 1989 for protection of kurinji and its habitat.
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Photo on the left shows G. Rajkumar at the Kurinji march organised at Kodaikanal in 2014.


More News: (Full list)
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