Formerly known as Burnfoot Lake, a water body, that is recorded to have existed in the early 1900’s, has all but disappeared.
The lake, which used to store water from the reservoirs on Tiger Hill, has been photographed by ATW Penn, who documented the Nilgiris, while it has also been mentioned in the government gazette in the early part of the 20th century.
Now the location where the lake is said to have existed, at the Lovedale Junction along Coonoor Road, is being used for agriculture by farmers, while private players are also tapping groundwater from the land.
A former revenue department official told The Hindu that the land had been changed from the books of the municipality and the “encroachers” had been given title deeds to the settlement over four decades ago.
The stream that joins the lake, now being used for agriculture, also comes inside these lands, said the official on condition of anonymity.
S. Jayachandran, joint secretary of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement, said that the land would have been under the control of the municipal administration and that it was important that the local body clarifies when the land transfer was made, and what were the underlying reasons for the deeds being granted.
“I have also filed an RTI query, requesting information from the concerned officials about the lake,” Mr. Jayachandran added.
On the importance of the lake, N. Mohanraj, a local environment activist, said that the water body was a perennial water source, which, if tapped, could provide water for maybe a fifth of the population of Udhagamandalam.
“The water can be taken to the storage point at Nondimedu and diverted for the use of Ooty residents,” he said.
Now private tankers are drawing water from the land and are supplying water to residents.
V. Prabhakaran, Commissioner (in-charge) of Udhagamandalam Municipality, said that the local body would inspect the site and take any appropriate action if they received complaints of the over-drawing of water from local residents.
“Since the water is being drawn from private land, with the owners’ consent, there is nothing we can do to stop it,” he added.
