The Confederation of Environment Associations of Nilgiris (CEAN) has hit out against the “horrible” track record of the Nilgiris district administration in protecting the district’s wetlands.
Highlighting statements made by the district administration about the constructions being undertaken on the peripheries of the Ooty Lake by the Tourism Department before the National Green Tribunal, Surjit K. Chaudhary, a retired IAS officer and Chairperson of CEAN, has listed a series of “specific and deliberate omissions” made by the district administration to justify the construction of the structures which include an “adventure tower” featuring ziplines and a rope bridge across the lake.
Among the statements that have been criticised by CEAN was the admission that the proposal for the project had been tabled before the Hill Area Conservation Authority (HACA) before being submitted to the Architectural and Aesthetic Aspects (AAA) Committee. “AAA and HACA clearances have to be obtained before starting the work,” said Mr. Chaudhary, adding that the AAA committee had been on record in November, 2023, almost a year after constructions began, clarifying that they had yet to receive the proposal for the project.
