Activists, local residents question legality of tourism development work at Ooty lake

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The unchecked work to promote adventure tourism activities at the Ooty lake has raised many eyebrows in the hill town.

While the local residents and activists had earlier flagged the project, along with the parking lot work at a wetland at the Ooty railway station, the state wetland authority had written to the Nilgiris collector 11 days ago to submit an action taken report.

The Nilgiris district administration had subsequently issued a stop work order to the parking lot project at the Ooty railway station a week ago, while allowing the development work at the Ooty lake that was being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation under the public-private partnership model to continue.

Pointing to the rules in the Ooty Master Plan and the Hill Station Building Rules, 1993, the local residents and the Confederation of Environmental Associations of Nilgiris (CEAN) have appealed the Nilgiris collector to issue instructions to stop further construction at the lake with immediate effect.

In a letter addressed to the Nilgiri collector, they have raised doubts about the legality of the huge construction at the Ooty lake. They have also questioned whether the Architectural Aesthetics Aspects Committee headed by the district revenue officer had given clearance to the projects and whether an environmental impact assessment study was conducted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Surjit K Chaudhary, chairperson and coordinator of CEAN, said, “We have been seeking the intervention of the district administration, who is also the district wetland committee chairperson, to stop the projects at the wetlands in the Ooty railway station and the lake.”

According to the Hill Station Building Rules, 1993, he said, “No site situated within the distance of 200 meters from the boundaries of lakes in Kodaikanal and Udhagamandalam shall be used for construction of any building or change the present character and use in any manner.”

He said the Ooty Master Plan, 2011, had committed to protect the area immediately surrounding the lake from further construction and development, while enhancing the utility of the area with adequate green cover.

When contacted, Keerthi Priyadharshini, district revenue officer, said, “No application has been received from the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation for conversion of land. The application has to be submitted to the Architectural Aesthetics Aspects Committee, which will then forward the same to the Hill Area Conservation Authority.”

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