Latest news with #V.Vigneshwari
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- The Hindu
MUV safari will resume in Idukki from July 16
The Multi-utility vehicle (MUV) safari and on- and off-road trekking will be resumed in Idukki from Wednesday (July 16, 2025) onwards. District Collector V. Vigneshwari issued a detailed order on Monday (July 14, 2025) outlining strict conditions for the reopening of MUV safari and off-road safari in the nine routes in the first phase in the Idukki and Devikulam subdivisions in the district. The nine approved off-road MUV safari routes include the Parunthumpara-Satram route, Kuttikkanam-Madammakulam, Pambanar-Mlamala-Uppupara belt, Elappara-Kappakkanam-Uluppuni-Chakkimali-Vellarankallu stretch, Vagamon (Elappara)-Ottamaram Para Viewpoint, Vagamon-Kallattupara waterfalls trail in the Idukki subdivision, and the Munnar-Ponmudi-Nadukani-Munnar loop, Suryanelli-Kolukkumalai Sunrise route, and Mankulam-Perumbankuttu-Anakulam-6th Mile Hanging Bridge-33 Waterfall-Viripara areas in the Devikulam subdivision. According to the Collector, new order issued by the district administration mandates compliance with the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS)-issued safety regulations. Verification drive 'A multi-department regularisation drive will begin on Tuesday (July 15), ensuring that only registered and verified operators can resume service. During the drive, the officials will inspect the vehicle's fitness, driver records, insurance, police clearance, GPS installation, and route mapping,' said the order. 'The MUV safari routes will be reviewed by a route monitoring committee comprising Sub-Collector, RTO, concerned Station House Officer (SHO), panchayat secretary, and District Tourism Promotion Council Secretary (DTPC). The committee will inspect the terrain and classify the routes. Only drivers approved by the committee will be allowed to operate and on the prescribed routes,' said the order. 'The timing of the activities between 4 a.m. and 6 p.m. from and to the starting point of the trip will depend on the prevailing weather conditions, as decided by the committee. Every trip shall include tourist insurance, and a portion of ticket revenue shall go to a driver welfare fund for medical/accident coverage. Mandatory audits will be held twice yearly in April and October, chaired by the Sub-collector or as proposed by the route committee. Those who violate the committee's decisions will invite strict penalties, including license suspension and disqualification. There will be legal action in case of accidents due to negligence,' said the order. The Collector imposed a ban on multi-utility vehicle (MUV) safaris in Idukki under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, on July 5, after an MUV safari vehicle met with an accident in Munnar on July 1 in which onea tourist was killed and 10 injured.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- The Hindu
Idukki to get heritage tourism project soon
The hilly district of Idukki is all set to get a heritage tourism project. According to officials, the project aims at conserving the rich heritage of the district and popularise it. The project will be implemented in association with the district administration, Tourism department, and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). At a meeting with tourism stakeholders on Tuesday, District Collector V. Vigneshwari announced that the heritage tourism project will be implemented soon. According to sources, authorities will collect data on the major heritage spots in the district soon. 'The old British churches, graves, British-built bridges, tribal art forms, old estate bungalows, dolmens, menhirs, and other historically important sites will be included on the list. After preparing the list, the government will take further steps to implement the project,' said an official. According to the officials, Idukki has a vast potential for heritage tourism. Idukki is filled with British-built constructions, religious and educational institutions. These aspects will provide a new outlook to the tourism sector in the district. The Tourism department is already preparing a heritage tourism project for the elegant British-built St. George CSI Church with its gothic-style architecture at Pallikunnu, near Kuttikanam. During his visit in March, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas directed the Tourism Director to prepare a heritage tourism project for the church. During the interaction with the tourism stakeholders, Ms. Vigneshwari said the district administration plans to utilise the tourism potential of the district in full. She said the district will prepare a website and arrange facilities for tourists visiting the Idukki dam.' A standard operating procedure (SOP) will be implemented in the district to issue climate-related alerts and other restrictions. A project named Idukki Plaza will be implemented in the district to provide basic facilities to the tourists who arrive there, said the Collector.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- The Hindu
Collector bans off-road MUV safari in Idukki
District Collector V. Vigneshwari on Sunday imposed a ban on multi-utility vehicle (MUV) safari in Idukki under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. According to officials, the Collector imposed the ban following an MUV accident in Munnar recently in which a tourist was killed and 10 were injured. The order stated that the recent event had brought to light the urgent need for regulating vehicular tourism in areas characterised by hilly terrain, narrow and winding roads, steep gradients, and prone to landslides. The operation of such services without official oversight exposes passengers to grave risk, said the order. Lack fitness certificates It further stated that vehicles conducting safaris often lack valid fitness certificates. Most often the vehicles are modified ones which are poorly maintained. Drivers with unverified qualifications, lacking formal training or licensing specific to high-risk terrain and tourist operations are used to conduct services. Lack of uniform safety standards, standard operating procedures, passenger insurance or accountability in the event of accidents are other issues. Noise and ecological disturbance lead to degradation of fragile mountain environments. The services pose serious public safety risks and undermine disaster readiness, according to the order. The Collector further said that to ensure supervision by the district administration, all safari vehicles, including individual, institutional, off-road, and ecotourism safaris, are banned in the district with immediate effect. 'Collect details' To ensure a proper facility, the local bodies are directed to collect the details of the safari vehicles, drivers, and routes under their jurisdiction. A committee comprising representatives from the panchayats, police, Motor Vehicles department (MVD), District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), and the Revenue and Forest departments will examine the details under the supervision of the respective Subcollectors. The list of vehicles and routes should be submitted to the district administration on July 10. Based on the verification, the off-road MUV safari will be resumed with proper guidance, said the Collector. Kolukkumala According to officials, the ban on off-road MUVs did not impact the Kolukkumala off-road vehicle safari. The authorities have already completed safety inspections of the off-road safari vehicles in Kolukkumala. Last week, the MVD completed the inspection of 210 off-road vehicles used for off-road safaris in Kolukkumala. Meanwhile, drivers of MUV vehicles staged protests in various parts of the district on Monday against the sudden ban. They claimed that thousands of people depended on the income from off-road vehicle safaris.
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Pursuit of Happiness,' a path towards higher education for students in Idukki
The Idukki district administration on Sunday announced a project to ensure the higher education of financially backward students of the district who completed SSLC and Plus Two classes. The project, titled 'Pursuit of Happiness, ' is the brainchild of District Collector V. Vigneshwari. Through the project, the district administration aims to provide financial assistance to students who are in need. Ms. Vigneshwari said the project will be implemented through sponsorships. The students who require financial support for pursuing further education can apply through the website 'The district administration will verify the eligibility of the students through concerned village officers. Based on the report from the village officers, eligible candidates will be selected,' she said. 'Through the project, the public can join hands to ensure the future education of students. People who are interested to provide sponsorships can register through the website and the district administration will reach out to them. The selected sponsors should submit their consent form through official email or in person,' said the Collector. Joint account According to officials, communication between the sponsors and students will be the directly monitored by the Collector. 'The district administration will contact the department heads of the selected students to gather details, including fees, which will be relied to the sponsors. In order to ensure complete transparency in financial transactions, a joint bank account will be opened under the names of the Collector, sponsor, director of the education institution concerned and the student. The money will be transferred through this account,' said an official.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Idukki turns to AI to face disasters
In the lush, hilly district of Idukki, where nature's beauty meets frequent danger, authorities are turning to technology for protection. A new high-tech system using Artificial Intelligence (AI), sensors, and satellite maps will soon help predict landslides, flash floods, forest fires, and droughts in real time — part of an ambitious plan to make Idukki the most disaster-resilient hill district in the country. The innovative Idukki Disaster Resilience and Information System (IDRIS) — a first-of-its-kind early warning and planning platform — will be rolled out this monsoon as a pilot project, said District Collector V. Vigneshwari here on Tuesday. The pilot rollout will begin in Adimaly and Rajakkad, two areas often hit by landslides, floods, and rising conflict between people and wildlife, an official release said. IDRIS is the first system of its kind in India, combining real-time data, satellite maps, and advanced tools like AI to send early warnings for natural disasters such as landslides, flash floods, wildfires, and drought, the release claimed. The system will help local leaders and government officials make better, faster decisions. It does this by using GIS-based risk maps to guide where roads, buildings, and water systems should be built — keeping both people and nature in mind, officials said. The system is being developed under the leadership of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The system uses AI , sensors and satellite maps to monitor and predict hazards like landslides, flash floods, forest fires and droughts in real time, the release said. 'Forty-six sensors will monitor soil movement, rain and moisture levels. Forty-eight river gauges will track water levels in key tributaries such as the Thodupuzha River and Pamba. Data will be fed live into a GIS-based control room at the District Emergency Operations Centre. Officials will use this information to send early warnings and guide safer infrastructure planning,' it said. Alerts will be sent through SMS, sirens, radio and a mobile app, in Malayalam, English, Tamil, Hindi, and tribal languages. 'The development of the IDRIS software and its field-level testing will begin soon,' the District Collector said. The aim is to transform Idukki into India's most disaster-resilient hill district by combining sensor technology, GIS-based risk layers, and machine learning, she added. Officials said Idukki is a district highly prone to disasters. Since 2000, it has faced over 600 landslides, recurring floods, rising incidents of wild animal attacks, unsafe constructions, and forest fires, they said. Taking all these risks into account, a comprehensive multi-hazard monitoring system is being set up in the district, officials added.
