Concern over council’s resolution for Udhagamandalam Municipality’s upgradation to Corporation

Udhagamandalam Municipal Council's resolution to upgrade to a Corporation sparks debate over environmental impact and benefits for residents.

The resolution passed by the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council recently to upgrade the municipality to a Corporation has been met with criticism from citizens’ rights activists as well as environmentalists, who feel that the huge surge in ensuing infrastructure development could lead to widespread environmental damage to the Nilgiris’ fragile ecology.

The council, in the resolution, argued that the municipality, currently encompassing 36 wards spanning a total of 30.67 sq. km. as per 2011 records, had a population of 88,430 people. They, however, estimate that the population has grown to more than 1.23 lakh people in 2024.

The resolution went onto state that the town was one of Southern India’s most important tourist destinations and held a number of important landmarks, such as the Government Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Ooty Lake and Boat House as well as Doddabetta Peak, both within the municipality limits and surrounding areas.

The resolution went onto add that anywhere between 50,000 to 80,000 visit Udhagamandalam every day during the summer tourism season, and the town hosts visitors from neighbouring districts in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka as well as tourists from across India.

The resolution envisages including Udhagamandalam Municipality, Ketti town panchayat and the village panchayats of Doddabetta, Nanjanad, Ithalar and Hullathy to form the proposed Corporation. They estimate that the revenue to the upgraded civic body, that currently stands at ₹4,394 lakh could increase to ₹5,214 lakh with the expansion. The population will also increase to 1.93 lakh people with the inclusion of the new areas.

Among the benefits that would accrue to residents, the council speculates, is that the government spending on infrastructure would increase if the municipality was upgraded to a Corporation, which would trickle down to improve the lives of local residents and increase employment opportunities.

However, S. Manogaran, president of the Coonoor Consumer Protection Association, argues that any upgradation to the municipality will negatively affect not just the Nilgiris’ ecology, but also be detrimental to the lives of the residents who will be part of the expanded Corporation area. “Residents can expect to pay higher taxes, and even lose out on certain benefits such as cheaper access to government services,” argues Mr. Manogaran.