The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold a Madras High Court order that had prohibited the Tamil Nadu Forest Department from collecting entry fees from pilgrims and local residents visiting Agasthiyar Falls and adjoining temples located inside the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR).
A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, sitting with Justice Vijay Bishnoi, issued notice on the state’s appeal and granted an ad-interim stay on the High Court’s June 3 direction. The court sought the response of the sole respondent, Vikramasingapuram Anaithu Samuthaya Peraval, within three weeks.
Senior advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, representing the Principal Secretary of the Environment and Forest Department and other officials, argued that the High Court’s order suffered from “non-application of mind” and created significant administrative confusion.
The High Court had directed that no entry fee be collected from “pilgrims and local residents” accessing Agasthiyar Falls and nearby temples inside KMTR. The state, however, pointed out that the order did not define who qualifies as a “local resident”.
According to the petition filed through advocate Purnima Krishna, the absence of such a definition effectively opens free access to nearly 20 lakh people living in surrounding villages and towns.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department told the Supreme Court that entry fees collected at the Papanasam forest check-post are levied under a Government Order dated February 8, 2018, and in line with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Guidelines for Tourism in and Around Tiger Reserves issued on October 15, 2012.
The state clarified that the fee is:
- a regulatory mechanism,
- essential for monitoring ingress,
- enabling anti-poaching measures,
- supporting habitat protection, and
- managing eco-tourism activities.
“It is not a tax,” the petition emphasised.
The plea highlighted that Agasthiyar Falls is located entirely within the core zone of KMTR, a notified critical tiger habitat under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Spanning 895 sq km across Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in the southern Western Ghats, the area is subject to strict access control under the law.
The state argued that unrestricted entry would undermine conservation efforts and dilute environmental safeguards mandated for core tiger habitats.
With the Supreme Court’s stay in place, the Forest Department may continue collecting entry fees until the next hearing.
