Will restrict tourist inflow into Nilgiris, warns Madras High Court

CHENNAI: Coming down heavily on the district Collector of the Nilgiris for submitting misinformation before it, the Madras High Court said if the e-pass mandate for vehicles ferrying tourists to the hill station was not properly implemented, it would pass order restrict tourists’ entry into the district.

A special bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy was hearing the case related to fixing the carrying capacity and plastic prohibition in hill stations. During the proceeding, the Nilgiris Collector submitted a report stating that 93 automatic water vending machines were available in the district to control the littering of plastic bottles.

But the bench expressed dissatisfaction over the report noting that the vending machines were not in working condition.

Further, the bench also observed that the e-pass mandate for tourist vehicles entering the Nilgiris was also not properly implemented. If the situation continues, an appropriate order would be issued to restrict tourist vehicles entering into the district, the bench said.

The bench then directed the Collector to submit a fresh report without any misinformation and posted the matter to February 4 for further proceedings.

The bench also directed the Collectors of Dindigul and the Nilgiris to appear virtually on the next hearing.