Read the passage and answer the following questions:
Locals point out that the Nilgiri forests are now shorn of their trademark orchids and the Shola forests exposed to air pollution due to tourist vehicles constantly zigzagging through tiger reserves. Green belts like Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, which was demarcated as one of the earliest eco-tourism zones, lie ravaged due to unregulated mining activity, which has been stalled only recently. In such a scenario, an increased interest in the ghats may spell doom, fear many. A heritage tag makes a place more popular and gives it more attention from central and state governments. This usually means more funds allocated, without a clear vision of how they would be used. The focus is unfortunately on infrastructure suited to mass tourism. Their research in the ghats showed that the benefits of tourism rarely percolate to indigenous communities.
Experts say that there is a need to regulate opening up of more natural reserves to tourism. Also recommended is the creation of a metropolitan agency to holistically address tourism in the ghats instead of piecemeal at the level of the local Zilla Parishads and civic bodies.
UNESCO itself has acknowledged the tourism dilemma that comes with its accolades. Among the strategies is suggests its reducing demand by imposing higher visitor fees. The agency, in fact, cites the success of hiked entry fees in Rajasthan's Keoladeo National Park, which is already on the list. The move in the 1990s saw a decrease in footfalls but an increase in tourist-driven revenues. Lessons could also be learnt from the tiger reserve of Sunderbans, which successfully uses camp and cottage-based eco-tourism devoid of energy guzzling technologies.
The government too has begun to take cognizance. The environment ministry this week stated that a cess would be introduced for private hotels within five kilometres of natural habitats, restrictions placed on the number of tourists and lodges in the middle of sanctuaries moved out.