The Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority has informed the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the Ooty lake had to be protected under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
The Nilgiris district administration had earlier contended before the Bench that the lake was ‘man-made’, and could not be considered as a wetland. However, a status report that was recently filed by G. Kiran, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wetland), State Wetland Authority, as part of a suo motu petition against construction of facilities for development of tourism, has pointed out that the lake — spanning over 2.25 hectares — was covered under the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment Report, 2011.
Consequently, it has to be protected under Rule 4 of the 2017 Rules in accordance with a direction of the Supreme Court. According to the Rules, conversion for non-wetland uses such as encroachment and constructing structures of permanent nature, barring boat jetties, within fifty metres from the mean high flood level is prohibited.
According to a report submitted before the Bench by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Limited and the Nilgiris Collector, construction of infrastructure for adventure activities had been carried out without getting a No-Objection Certificate. Mr. Kiran had pointed out in his report that though the constructed structures were of temporary nature, built above the ground level, the basements were of permanent nature, constructed with concrete and cement.
