A fine of ₹10,000 has been imposed by the Udhagamandalam Municipal Corporation (UMC) on the owners of a private resort for dumping waste at the ecologically important Ooty Lake.
Officials from the UMC said sanitation workers have been informed to ensure that areas away from human settlements in the city, including Ooty Lake, are monitored for dumping of garbage after the region and surrounding localities became open dumping grounds for residents and business owners. Reserve forests are also being used illegally as an open dump, mostly around Fern Hill, Gorishola and Lovedale, alleged activists who have urged the municipality to impose heavy fines on violators.
“Ooty Lake is home to a large amount of biodiversity, including both resident and migratory species of birds and a variety of mammals. The area has become a site of open dumping of domestic and construction waste over the years,” said an activist who has been pushing for the protection of the area in recent years.
During an investigation by the UMC to identify those responsible for dumping the waste, they discovered receipts and documents from the garbage heaps that pointed to the waste being generated by a private resort along the Ooty-Gudalur road.
The UMC officials inspected the resort and met the management and warned them of stricter action if they continue to illegally dump waste in the open. They imposed a fine of ₹10,000 and appealed to the public to sort the waste and hand it over to the city’s door-to-door collection teams.
Published – 01 Feb 2026 15:57 IST
