Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Ensure healthy development of Kotagiri: citizens

D. Radhakrishnan

Warn of agitations and Public Interest Litigation

UDHAGAMANDALAM: "Save Kotagiri for the sake of posterity." With this slogan many organisations in the hill station have joined hands to impress on the authorities the urgent need to evolve a plan of action to ensure the `healthy development' of the town and its surroundings.

Pointing out that Kotagiri had, for long, enjoyed the reputation of being a `clean and pleasant' hill station with a climate stated to be one of the best in the world, representatives of various organisations told The Hindu at Kotagiri on Thursday: "We can no longer remain silent spectators to the destruction of Kotagiri."

No action

Though the attention of the authorities have been drawn time and again to the pollution of the town's water sources, no action has been taken so far to tackle the problem, said the president, Blue Mountain Consumer Forum, Rajan.

K. B. Bhojan, a lawyer, said that the callous outlook of the elected representatives and the officials tantamount to `dereliction of duty' and it was a fit case to be handled through a Public Interest Litigation.

Fundamental rights

Fresh air and clean water were a citizen's fundamental right. Despite complaints the stream flowing along Johnston's Square, Donnington and nearby residential areas was being misused by dumping garbage, said the president, Lions Club of Kotagiri, B. Ramakrishnan.

If this environmentally hazardous activity was not stopped forthwith, the citizens would be forced to take to the streets to highlight the problem.

Pointing out that as a citizens' initiative concerned sections of society had launched a `Keep Kotagiri Clean and Green' campaign about a year ago, the vice-president, Kotagiri Citizens' Forum, K. Devaraj, said that if the officials extended a helping hand Kotagiri could be made a model for other hill stations. Pointing out that the attitude of passing the buck had, over the years, resulted in the environment of Udhagamandalam and Coonoor suffering considerable damage the president, Tea Garden Jaycees, H. Nandakumar, expressed the hope that Kotagiri would not be allowed to suffer the same fate.

The president, Kotagiri Medical Association, K. C. Gunasekaran, cautioned that if matters on the environment front were not set right soon, in course of time the residents of Kotagiri and nearby villages would have to contend with water borne diseases like typhoid, jaundice and cholera.

Form authority

The vice-president, Kotagiri Wildlife Association, N. Ramakrishnan, felt that the need of the hour was the constitution of a `Kotagiri Development Authority' comprising all the stakeholders to ensure that its growth did not get out of hand.

"If we do not set right matters now our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price," he warned.

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Ensure healthy development of Kotagiri: citizens

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