Chembra peak in Wayanad reopens for travellers

Climbing the Chembra peak in Wayanad is every traveller’s dream. But, the district authorities have closed in January due to drought in the hills. After nine long months, the peak is now open for tourists.

The tourism department had reconstructed the road from Meppadi to Chembra Peak spending Rs 1.8 crore. But, a portion of the road was washed away during the monsoon and around 50 metres had to be rebuilt, the District Tourism Promotion Council said in a press release.

Though the peak is now open for tourists, the forest department, the custodian of the peak, has decided to restrict the number of tourists per day to 200. Earlier, 1,000-odd people used to visit the peak. The entry time is from 7 am to 1 pm.

Vehicles carrying tourists will reach up to the office of the Vana Samrakshana Samithy (VSS), a protection committee of local people that take care of Chembra peak and the surrounding flora and fauna, near the peak from where they have to trek up to the lake. The 2-km stretch after the VSS office is a restricted area for vehicles.

The site was closed on February 16, 2018 after a forest fire broke out, destroying the flora and fauna in the ecologically fragile area. More than 100 hectares of grassland too were destroyed. Chembra stands 2,100 m above sea level and it will take an hour to trek to its pinnacle. A heart-shaped perennial lake, nearly 1,100 m above sea level is one of the major attractions.