As many as 14 conservation groups and citizens’ collectives in the Nilgiris have come together to demand the Southern Railways to stop destroying a wetland adjoining the Ooty lake, as the railways looks to renovate and develop Udhagamandalam Railway Station.
The 14 groups, which include Namma Nilgiris, The Make Ooty Beautiful Project, Nature Environment Cultural and Service Trust (NEST), Upstream Ecology, Ooty Public Awareness Association, Tamil Nadu Green Movement, among others, have highlighted how the wetland acts as a flood barrier for the town, soaking up excessive rainfall which then gets diverted into the Ooty lake, and preventing flooding of the town.
