The dumping of municipal solid waste near the New Boat House complex at the Ooty Lake has troubled residents.
According to sources, when the authorities concerned initiated efforts to have the lake beautified and cleaned following the allotment of Rs. 4 crore by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, they had removed bushes on the side of the lake, which had opened up a new area for the residents to dump garbage.
As a result, the residents started dumping garbage in the area and the garbage straight entered the lake.
Not only garbage but also municipal sewage entered the lake, complained S. Jayachandran, joint secretary, Tamil Nadu Green Movement.
This was part of the mismanagement the lake had been suffering.
When it rained the garbage flowed into the lake, which was being projected as a tourist destination. It was unhygienic and unsafe for the tourists to visit the lake, which was polluted, he said.
The authorities who wanted to beautify the lake should have first provided bins for residents and owners of commercial establishments to dump garbage in a safe manner. Without initiating such measures, it was unwise on their part to clear bushes and let the residents dump garbage in the open.
A representative of the boat house, which was run by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, flatly denied any dumping of garbage near the boat house, in the lake. He said that no dumping of waste took place.
The official also added that the lake was under the maintenance of the Public Works Department, which periodically cleaned the lake.
People dump garbage in the open after bushes near the lake were removed
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