Work at illegal resort construction site around Avalanche Dam halted

The Tamil Nadu Forest department has stopped work on several illegal resort buildings that were being constructed on the periphery of Avalanche Lake in the Nilgiris.

The structures, which were being built around the lake, were an eyesore that not only blighted the landscape but also could have severed habitat contiguity for wildlife passing through the area, officials from the Forest department said.

“The owners of the resort had applied for permission for the construction of a residential building from the local panchayat in 2016, which had lapsed. However, they had begun construction of the buildings, which would have been used for tourism purposes on completion, without any permissions from any department,” said an official. The resort owners had also approached the State Tourism department for approvals.

So far, only elevated platforms, atop which the buildings were to be constructed, have been built. Conservationists have demanded that they be demolished immediately.

Divisional Forest Officer (Nilgiris) S. Gowtham told The Hindu: “We have not given any clearance for the construction and hence, our staff have inspected the site and stopped the work as it lacks necessary clearances.”

A conservationist from the Nilgiris, who requested anonymity, said that it should be mandatory that local panchayats not issue construction permits for any buildings within at least 500 metres of the edge of a reserved forest boundary, and that Eco-Sensitive Zones around ecologically sensitive areas such as Avalanche must also be notified to regulate tourism and commercial activities.

“While it may not be within the core area of Avalanche Dam, such constructions, no matter how small, will hinder wildlife movement in the area and affect their usable paths to navigate around the waterbody. An animal does not understand forest boundaries and what is private property, so these areas must be kept free from impediments as much as possible,” said the conservationist, adding that such resorts also pose a more direct threat to wildlife.

“These locations, especially overlooking waterbodies, can be used to scope out area for wildlife by poachers, and there should be even more care around the Avalanche area as it is already known to have had instances of tiger poaching in the recent past,” he said.