The FD erected a fence around the shola. The fencing was necessitated partly by the heavy influx of the tourists into the shola, but it has caused resentment amongst the villagers, as it goes against the ‘social fencing ‘ practiced by the villagers.
Planting in degraded areas belonging to the FD requires permission, and sometimes this causes conflict between the people and the FD.
A fire in 1998 under the Pond thermometer factory on the steep slopes of Pambar ravine led to seeding of exotic species (encouraged by the opened canopy), particularly acacia and surai, and now dense patches of these seedlings are well established.
Considering the Palni area as a whole, it is important to restore the grassland in the upper hills. Vast plantations of exotic species such as wattle, eucalyptus and pine and weeds such as Ageratum pose a threat to the habitat restoration of this area.
Tourism is a major threat to the shola. Waste washed down the Pambar stream due to large number of tourists coming to Ravine Falls has a detrimental impact on the stream and the shola. What seems to be demoralizing the villagers of Vatakkanal is that while part of the reserved forest is open to busloads of tourists who litter the place and go away, people who have been protecting the shola have no rights in this area.