‘Demolish illegal resorts in elephant corridor within 15 days’

Udhagamandalam: Owners of sealed commercial buildings, mostly resorts, in the Segur plateau elephant corridor, have been ordered to demolish the illegal buildings within 15 days as per court order. The Nilgiris district administration issued notices on the same on August 17, to owners of 31 properties.
The said buildings were sealed in 2018 as per an apex court order.The Supreme Court had in October 2020, upheld the direction issued by the Madras High Court in 2011, directing the Tamil Nadu government to notify the ‘Segur elephant corridor’ in the Nilgiris district and seal commercial buildings located within the corridor.
The apex court had also appointed a three-member committee headed by justice K Venkataraman to hear complaints from the affected resort owners. The committee’s findings revealed that the sealed buildings which were used for commercial purposes, were only granted licenses for building dwelling houses. The committee also revealed that resort owners had violated building rules, deviated from the original plans and violated the Forest Conservation Act 1980. Justice Venkataraman told TOI, “Orders were issued for as many as 220 matters in the corridor, but some are still pending as they have either approached the Supreme Court or the Madras high court”.
Based on specific findings on each of the resorts, the district administration was ordered to demolish the sealed properties. The committee also allowed the objectors an opportunity to voluntarily dismantle the sealed buildings and transport all the material including fence posts, gates etc., out of the property before the district administration initiates action.