The Nilgiris district administration is set to serve closure notices on 10 more illegal resorts functioning in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Friday, with Revenue Department officials being instructed to seal the premises by Saturday.
In another development, the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to lock and seal, within 48 hours, a luxury resort run by Action for Community Organisation, Rehabilitation and Development (Accord) on 180.80 acres of forest land in Devala village of Gudalur taluk in Nilgiris district, though its primary objective was to work for the welfare of the tribals.
Justice S.M. Subramaniam also directed the government to take possession of the entire land and protect it in accordance with the statutes in force without any violation or deviation.
The orders were passed while rejecting a writ petition filed by Accord against the declaration of 17,000 acres, including its properties in the district, as forest land.
In Udhagamandalam, officials said that the 10 resorts were among the 12 which were given time by the Supreme Court to submit proper documents attesting to their claims that they were functioning with adequate permission.
However, while 10 of the resort owners were unable to produce valid documentation, two resorts have produced proof that at least some of their operations were legal.
Officials said that 11 buildings on the premises of the two resorts which have permissions are illegal, and will be shut down; only the buildings which are legal will be allowed to function.
The 12 resorts are Rolling Stone and Shilwa and Cheriyaan in Vazhaithottam; Jungle Retreat, Monarch Safari Park, Jungle Hut, Casa Deep Woods, De Rock Resort and Blue Valley Resort in Bokkapuram; Forest Hills Farm Guest House in Kovilpatti; Wild Haven in Chadapatti (near Vazhaithottam); Jain Resort in Masinagudi; and a facility run by Alok Guptha in Vazhaithottam.
They are among the 39 which were deemed by the Supreme Court to have been built along the notified ‘elephant corridor’ of the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Earlier, 27 resorts were closed.
Nilgiris Collector Innocent Divya said that the closure notices would be served to the resort owners on Friday, and added that they would be given 24 hours to vacate the buildings.
Accord resort
In respect of the luxury resort run by the Accord Trust, Justice S.M. Subramaniam took serious note of the submissions made by Additional Government Pleader (Forests) M. Santhana Raman that the writ petitioner had caused large-scale damage to the environment and ecology in the forest area by constructing bungalows and renting them out to foreigners at very high rates.
“If resorts are constructed inside forest areas and natural resources are tampered with by way of commercial activities, then this court is afraid that the statutes in this regard have failed in their implementation and the authorities competent have failed in their duties to prevent and control such illegal activities,” the judge said.
He went on to state: “First of all, allowing foreign nationals to enter into the forest area itself is not preferable and such activities are in violation of the statutes.” Taking cognisance of photographs submitted before him, the judge said that the operation of the resort had also curbed free movement of elephants in the area.
The judge also said the district administration was bound to find out whether Accord had been receiving foreign funds through legal channels, especially when it had received ₹71.87 lakh between July and September 2017, ₹78.65 lakh between October and December 2017, ₹20.45 lakh between January and March 2018 and ₹19.95 lakh between April and June this year.
“This court is unable to understand whether such donations from foreign countries were received in accordance with law or not. All these aspects are to be examined by the authorities concerned and suitable actions are to be initiated to regulate all these activities of the writ petitioner.
“If such foreign grants and donations are received contrary to the law of the land, the RBI regulations and the Government of India Orders, then suitable actions are to be initiated against the writ petitioner in this regard,” he ordered.