Kozhikode: A collective of environmental organisations in Kerala has approached the State Forest Department seeking urgent action against unauthorised geo-tagging and online promotion of sensitive locations inside reserve forests and protected areas.
A memorandum, addressed to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), the Chief Wildlife Warden and other senior forest officials, raised concern over the increasing number of forest locations being marked and promoted on Google Maps and other digital platforms. According to the organisations, such geo-tagging encouraged tourists, vloggers, wildlife photographers, birdwatchers and social media influencers to enter ecologically sensitive and legally protected forests without permission.
The organisations alleged that photographs, videos, reviews and promotional content related to inaccessible forest locations were being widely shared online, exposing wildlife habitats, elephant corridors, water sources and remote forest routes to misuse by poachers, wildlife traffickers, timber smugglers and other anti-social elements. They said the trend also contributed to habitat disturbance, forest fires, ecosystem degradation and increased human-wildlife conflict.
The memorandum also called for a vigilance enquiry into allegations that certain forest officials may have promoted or reviewed sensitive forest locations on digital platforms or permitted unauthorised entry into restricted areas.
Expressing concern over geo-tagging in forest divisions including Wayanad, Nelliyampathy, Dhoni, Nilambur and Idukki, the organisations pointed out what they described as an inconsistency in the Forest Department’s approach. While cases have been registered against trespassers and vloggers for entering protected forests in Kozhikode and Nilambur, they alleged that sensitive forest destinations continue to be publicly promoted on digital platforms.
N Badusha (Wayanad Prakurthi Samrakshana Samithi) said it sought a State-wide enquiry into all unauthorised geo-tagged locations in reserve forests, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. “We also demanded the removal of unauthorised map pins, photographs and reviews from digital mapping platforms, strict departmental instructions prohibiting forest officials from promoting restricted forest locations online, and enhanced monitoring of social media to detect and act against illegal geo-tagging,” he said.
The organisations further urged the Forest Department to coordinate with Google Maps and other digital mapping platforms to display cautionary notices on notified protected forests and wildlife habitats, informing the public that unauthorised entry, trespass, geo-tagging and publication of sensitive locations were prohibited and punishable under the Kerala Forest Act, 1961, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and other applicable laws.
They also called for a State-wide circular prohibiting unauthorised entry into reserve forests by birdwatchers, wildlife photographers, vloggers, social media influencers and other visitors, except with prior written permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden. The memorandum suggested that research, biodiversity monitoring and wildlife enumeration should be permitted only through a pre-registration system and with prior approval, while restricting such activities during the breeding, nesting and lactating periods of Schedule I wildlife species.
