New Delhi, May 23 -- Karnataka has closed most of its trails, just about a month after it issued guidelines and safety protocols for trekking, including regulation of single-use plastic and waste disposal. The guidelines were introduced to prevent trekkers from going missing, but then a child's death about 10 days ago led to the government closing the trails down. In the outdoors, any number of factors come into play, and as headlines often indicate, trekking needs some sensible regulation in India.

An adventure sport that's easy enough for anyone with the stamina to walk on trails, trekking is a great way to connect with nature and a quick getaway for many people from cities, and for local communities running homestays and tours, it's a...