Supreme Court Halts Madras HC Order on Entry Fees for Agasthiyar Falls

The Supreme Court stayed a Madras High Court order preventing the Tamil Nadu forest department from charging entry fees to pilgrims and locals accessing Agasthiyar Falls in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The court noted the administrative chaos and lack of clarity in defining local residents.

The Supreme Court has issued a stay on a Madras High Court decision that prohibited the Tamil Nadu forest department from collecting entry fees from visitors and residents accessing the Agasthiyar Falls and adjoining temples within the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

Located in the Southern Western Ghats spanning Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts, the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve is a critical tiger habitat. A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai took notice of concerns raised by senior advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, representing Tamil Nadu's Environment and Forest Department, and issued a notice to the opposing party.

The appeal argued that the high court's directive was vague, causing administrative confusion and granting free entry to nearly 20 lakh individuals without a clear definition of 'local residents.' The forest department clarified that levying entry fees is a regulatory measure aligned with the Wildlife (Protection) Act to ensure habitat protection and eco-tourism management.