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The Munnar panchayat has decided to impose a surcharge on vehicles entering the hill to fund waste treatment and reduce traffic congestion. According to officials, the surcharge is designed to address the critical waste management crisis in the hill station.
Munnar panchayat president S. Vijayakumar said the hill station witnesses heavy inflow of vehicles and illegal dumping of garbage on weekends and holidays. “Waste management is a serious problem for the panchayat. Apart from the surcharge, we are planning to set up a green check post at the borders. Tourists will be given a bag after paying the deposit, which they can collect by returning the bag filled with the waste they have produced,” said Vijayakumar. He added that the panchayat committee will discuss the proposal on Wednesday to finalize the next steps.
Mr. Vijayakumar further noted that a survey has already been conducted to monitor the average number of tourist vehicles arriving. The panchayat is also looking into privatization of waste management. “Representatives of Clean Kerala and a private agency will attend Wednesday’s meeting,” he said.
The surcharge will be introduced after high-level negotiations. “To ensure the support of the district administration, we will meet the district collector to coordinate with other government departments,” Vijayakumar added.
Officials also plan to set up a multi-level parking system in Munnar city and work with KSRTC to provide electric vehicle shuttle service to major destinations like Mattupetty and Eravikulam National Park in Rajamala. “Hour-hour traffic jams are a major problem that often spoils the travel plans of tourists,” the official noted.
Sources said that Munnar generates eight to ten tonnes of waste during holidays and weekends, which exceeds the carrying capacity of the station. “Without proper intervention, Munnar cannot achieve sustainable growth. Implementation of an e-Vehicle ID system, similar to the Ooty and Kodaikanal models, could help manage carrying capacity,” a source said.
G. Sojan, coordinator of My Munnar Movement, welcomed the decision. “A proper waste management system is essential. The authorities should use this surcharge to turn Munnar into a zero-waste destination. Besides, a proper transport and parking system is needed to ensure that tourists really enjoy their trips,” said Sojan.
This is not the first attempt to collect a fee from visitors. In 2022, the forest department proposed a similar surcharge to compensate residents for crop loss, livestock depletion and injuries caused by human-animal conflict. However, this proposal was shelved after widespread public opposition.
Published – 12 May 2026 19:19 IST
