Discarded waste damages ecology of the hills

Long considered by many as the best time of the year to visit this hill station, summer is also viewed as the worst from the environment and pollution point of view. The reason: Many among the tourists coming to ‘enjoy’ the season here leave behind their mark — in one form or the other — on the ecology of the place and their vehicles considerably increase air pollution while many of hawkers from the plains trading in a variety of items including cheap musical instruments, add to the noise pollution.

Built to prevent flooding, channel is now a garbage dump

Work on tackling a chronic problem relating to the pollution of the Ooty Lake, which has been defying a solution for long, started on Saturday with workers of the Public Works Department — Water Resources Organisation (PWD-WRO) getting into the Kodappamund channel. The channel, extending over about 2.9 kilometres, from Kodappamund at one end of the town to the Ooty Lake at the other end, has been identified as the main reason for the lake getting polluted.

Tiger sighted after it was thrown open on Tuesday

The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) was thrown open to tourists on Tuesday. The ad hoc committee, constituted on the recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in accordance with a recent directive of the Supreme Court, had reviewed the situation at the reserve at a meeting held here a few days ago.

Heightened activity was witnessed near the Ooty Lake on Thursday following an inspection of the lake and its surroundings carried out on Tuesday by the Principal Secretary, Environment and Forest, C.V. Shankar.

The inspection carried out by district and civic officials followed a study which indicated that the Ooty Lake is one of the dirtiest lakes in the State. Since the effluents from commercial buildings and houses flowing through the Kodappamund channel which cut through the town were found to be a major contributory factor for the lake being in its present polluted condition, municipal workers were entrusted with the task of diverting them.

With the monsoon continuing to play truant, water sources inside the Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserves may dry up

With the frequent appearance of elephants in some parts of the Nilgiris like Pandalur near Gudalur and Nonsuch below Coonoor becoming a cause for worry due to water shortage in the jungles stated to be among the contributory factors, speculation over the situation in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near here has, of late, become rife in various parts of the Nilgiris.

Transact method being adopted

Dry conditions cause concern

With dry conditions becoming a source of concern at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near Udhagamandlam, a proposal has been sent to the government to close it. Deputy Director, MTR, Ameer Haja, told the The Hindu on Wednesday that a detailed report with inputs from Range Officers had been submitted to the Field Director, MTR Raghuram Singh. It had been sent by the Field Director to the Chief Wildlife Warden along with a recommendation to close the reserve.

A farmers' forum is protesting moves of a private tea cultivating company to block a link road through which tea farmers transported their produce.

A demonstration was staged opposite the Collectorate here on Monday, protesting against the blocking of the road by near Kundah in the district the private-run The Thiashola Estate. The protest, by the Nilgiris chapter of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, was inaugurated by CPI (M)'s district secretary, R. Badri.

An ailing tiger found by passerby under a tree at Kurumbar Pallam near Bokkapuram adjoining the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) was provided medical help at forest veterinary centre on Friday.

Though the area is part of the tiger habitat, spotting the animal early in the morning was unusual.

In a place like the Nilgiris, natural calamities cannot be prevented but if sincere and concerted efforts are made their impact can be minimised. This was emphasised by D.V.