Kerala banned trekking in the forest areas in the wake of Korangini Trekking tragedy in which nine people -- four men, four women and a child -- were killed.

Chief Secretary Paul Antony issued orders banning trekking till further orders today. Forest Department has advised to block all trekking activities as wild fires are spreading forest areas adjoining to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

At all exit and entry points to forest areas, patrolling will be intensified and no person shall be allowed to carry matchboxes, beedis, cigarettes, lighter, etc into the forest.

Kerala Tourism Department also stopped trekking and directed tour operators not to undertake such activities.

"No trekking activities will be entertained in Kerala Forest areas till the ban revoked," Minister for Tourism Kadakampilly Surendran told India Today.

During summer season, large number of tourists flock to Kerala for adventurous tourism and trekking. Meeshapulimala, Thekkady, Gavi, Parambikulam, Nelliampathy, Malakapara, Wayanad and Agathyarkoodam are favourite trekking locations of the tourists.

Meeshapulimala is close to Korangini trekking path and many tourists trek the hills without taking permission from the forest department.

Kerala Forest department also issued directive to respective wildlife Wardens to prohibit trekking in the forest areas and take precautionary measures to check wild fire threat.

Forest department officers have appraised the district administration on the fire sensitive areas so that additional measures can be taken for fire prevention and management as part of the District Disaster Management Plan.

Involving all the stakeholders including government employees, green brigade members, Haritha Rakshana Samiithies, etc in this campaign, the plan is to ensure that new firelines are created in all fire prone areas and old firelines maintained.

Telangana Forest Dept has directed all fire alerts to be immediately acted upon and manpower, including fire station personnel deployed to control the forest fires.

The forest dept further said that counselling of beedi leaf khalledars, BL contractors and their agents should be intensified, apart from shepherds, cattle owners and NTFP collectors.

Through local print and electronic media it should be conveyed to all, to not venture into forest and risk their lives especially in fire prone areas.

Kerala is experiencing dry spell as the temperature has touched 40 degrees in the hilly regions.