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Trekking policy gives livelihood push for tribals
For generations, the Malekudiya people of Karnataka’s Western Ghats knew every bend in the forest-trails, every medicinal plant and every bird call
For generations, the Malekudiya people of Karnataka’s Western Ghats knew every bend in the forest-trails, every medicinal plant and every bird call. That knowledge rarely translated into economic security. Today, it has become their profession.
A new trekking policy introduced by Karnataka’s forest department has turned members of the indigenous forest dwelling community into certified nature guides, creating a steady source of income while placing those most familiar with the landscape at the centre of the visitor experience.
More than 60 members of the Malekudiya tribe have been certified to guide trekkers on the Nethravathi Peak trail alone. Others from the community now work on the Kudremukh, Gangadikal and Kurinjal trekking routes. Across Karkala, Belthangady, Sringeri and villages surrounding the Kudremukh forests, more than 350 local residents have found employment as certified trek guides.
Since April 2026, the forest department has required certified guides on all approved trekking routes. Every group of ten trekkers must be accompanied by one guide, daily visitor numbers on major trails are capped at 300, and bookings are made exclusively through the department’s online portal. The policy has opened employment opportunities for communities living inside the forests where the trekking routes are located.
For Manjunath Malekudiya, 50, of Malavanthige village in Belthangady taluk, the change has altered both how he earns a living and how visitors experience the forest.
Once he walked the Nethravathi Peak trail simply as part of daily life. Now he introduces trekkers to the Western Ghats through the names, stories and traditions he grew up with, identifying birds and plants using the Malekudiya language.
“I started as a guide three years ago. I had no formal training, but whenever I was called by local transport drivers who brought trekkers to the Nethravati Trek base camp, I would help out. Prior to this, I worked as a daily wage labourer and also on our agricultural land to earn my living. Over the years, as I started to age, I received less daily wage work. Working as a guide has now helped me earn a good income. On average, I earn about ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 per month when the trek season is on. During the other times, I work on my agricultural land. I haven’t gone guiding for the last two weeks as I am busy ploughing my land,” he said.
He is now among those formally trained and certified by the forest department.
Ashok Malekudiya, 24, from Elaneeru village, is among the few people in his community to complete a bachelor’s degree. Instead of leaving in search of work elsewhere, he chose to stay. “I never wanted to move out from here. Now, I have worked as a nature guide for three years and was certified a few months ago,” he said. “I earn about ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 per month.”
For younger members of the community, guiding has become an alternative to agricultural labour.
Nithin Malekudiya left school after SSLC and now works as a certified guide. Unlike his father, Uday Malekudiya, who depended on areca nut plantations and other farm labour, he sees tourism as a more secure livelihood.
“I work as a trek guide and get three to four assignments a week, which helps me earn a good amount. The days I am out of work, I help my father at home. This initiative has given us a new life; otherwise, we would have relied only on daily wage work or would have been forced to move out in search of better jobs,” he said.
His father said previous generations relied on physically demanding agricultural work or the collection of non-timber forest products such as wild honey, shikakai, Malabar tamarind, Ramapatra and medicinal herbs, an activity that is no longer permitted. He recalled earning only ₹250 for a full day’s labour and said many people who climbed areca nut trees had suffered life changing falls. “Compared to this, being a trek guide is a good option,” he said.
The community’s familiarity with the forest has become its greatest asset. Born and raised in the Western Ghats, the guides possess detailed knowledge of the terrain, wildlife and medicinal plants, which they now share with visitors during the treks.
V Sarmishta of the Belthangady Wildlife Range said the Nethravathi Peak jurisdiction currently has about 115 certified guides, including 60 from the Malekudiya community.
“Before becoming guides, these members of the tribal community had no proper income, working as daily wage labourers and doing other agricultural jobs. Some of them even used to travel to the Kalasa and Samse border areas of Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamagaluru for work. However, after becoming certified guides, they have had a stable income. As per our estimate, each person earns at least a minimum income of ₹12,000 per month. The trekkers also leave them tips, apart from a fixed daily salary of ₹1,000 per trek,” she said.
The Nethravathi Peak trail remains open from June until January or February, depending on the risk of forest fires. The route receives around 300 bookings each day, requiring roughly 30 to 35 guides daily under the one guide for every ten trekkers rule. Some visitors hire a guide even for groups of two or three.
Before receiving certification, all selected guides underwent training in personality development, visitor interaction and emergency response, including first aid and CPR, before being issued official certificates.
For a community, that had its understanding of the forest built over generations, the work has become more than seasonal employment. Knowledge once passed from parents to children is now helping sustain families while introducing visitors to the landscape through the people who have always called it home.
