Conservationists call for restoration of wetland near Ooty Railway Station

Local conservationists have called for restoration of a wetland adjoining the Udhagamandalam Railway Station, where the railways constructed buildings for a staff training centre, but later abandoned the plan as the nature of the soil was unsuited to support the weight of concrete structures

Local conservationists have called for restoration of a wetland adjoining the Udhagamandalam Railway Station, where the railways constructed buildings for a staff training centre, but later abandoned the plan as the nature of the soil was unsuited to support the weight of concrete structures.

According to local activists, construction of the training centre at the railway station was started around five years ago, despite objections. Previously, the 2.5-acre wetland used to be home to a wide variety of birds and plant life. Till date, the area is used as a foraging ground by Toda buffaloes, a native breed of cattle indigenous to the Nilgiris. However, after a few buildings were constructed on the wetland, it became apparent to the railways that the ground was simply unsuited to supporting permanent concrete structures, forcing them to abandon the project.

G. Janardhanan, president of the Ooty Public Awareness Association and a local activist advocating for the restoration of degraded wetlands around Udhagamandalam, said the railways should have known that the land was simply unsuitable for constructing permanent structures. “There are other government buildings nearby that have also sunk into the ground due to the marshy nature of the soil in the area,” he said, adding that the area, with the abandoned half-constructed buildings, was now an eyesore for local residents as well as tourists alighting from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

G. Latha, a resident, said anti-social elements were using the semi-constructed structures as spots to consume alcohol. “The area is not very well-lit, and there are residential buildings quite close to the railway station. They should either demolish the structures or assign security to ensure that there are no trespassers using them,” she said.

Mr. Janardhanan said the railways should consider restoring the wetland. “The railways can invest in bringing back plants and grasses that will have typified the wetland till a few decades ago. This will also benefit local communities, and prevent the area from being used to dump garbage,” he said.