CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) on Friday assured the Madras High Court that petrol-powered outboard motor boats being operated at Pykara Lake near Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district would be gradually replaced with electric outboard motor boats.

A Division Bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy, hearing a batch of cases relating to forest and environmental protection, recorded the submission. The Court-appointed amicus curiae told the Bench that the operation of petrol motor boats at the lake led to noise pollution, disturbing wildlife in the surrounding forest areas, and the fuel leakage caused water contamination.

In a status report, the TTDC stated that, currently, boating activities were carried out using petrol-powered motor boats only and that no diesel-powered boats were in operation. The corporation maintained that boating was not conducted within dense forest areas and that precautionary measures were being taken to prevent pollution of the lake.

TTDC further submitted that an abrupt halt to boating activities could lead to disappointment among tourists and result in revenue loss. It assured the Court that petrol-powered motor boats would be phased out gradually and replaced with electric boats in the interest of environmental protection.

Recording the submissions, the Bench adjourned the matter to next week for further hearing.