Protests against construction in Longwood Shola reserve forest intensify in the Nilgiris

Conservationists & local residents oppose TN govt's plan to build concrete structures & a building in Longwood Shola forest. Forest Dept denies allegations of cutting down trees & violating building rules. Stakeholders oppose project, citing need to protect ecologically-sensitive area & its wildlife. Forest Dept. denies plans for destructive construction, affirming intention to establish a Conservation Centre to spread awareness.

Concrete structures, including cement beds to grow native tree saplings and a building within the ecologically-sensitive Longwood Shola reserve forest in Kotagiri have been strongly opposed by conservationists and local residents of Kotagiri in the Nilgiris district.

In April 2022, the Tamil Nadu government had announced that an International Conservation Center was being set up in Longwood Shola at a cost of ₹5.2 crores.

Following the announcement, the forest department began the construction of plant beds made out of concrete as well as what the forest department terms “a non-permanent structure.” Activists also allege that the department cut down 20 native Shola trees using an earth mover, who have come together to form the Longwood Shola Conservation Consortium. The forest department has categorically denied these allegations.

“The forest department is still in denial that any trees were cut, or that their project is in violation of the Tamil Nadu district municipalities (hill areas) Building Rules, 1993, which specifies that structures cannot be built within 150 meters of a reserved forest. The forest department has gone even further and has constructed the structures within the reserve forest itself,” said a member of the consortium.

Representatives of around 20 villages who depend on the Longwood Shola for their water supply are said to have taken part in a stakeholders’ meeting organized by the forest department recently, and voiced their opposition to the project.

Kannan Ramaiah, a member of the conservation consortium said the Longwood Shola, which received the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy accreditation should be protected and no constructions should come up within the forest. “The same conservation center and nursery can be constructed a few hundred meters away from the reserved forest, and there is simply no need to threaten this ecologically-sensitive area, home to a wide array of wildlife and linked to the well-being of thousands of local residents,” said Mr. Ramaiah.

On Saturday, November 25, 2023 the District Forest Officer (Nilgiris division), S. Gowtham, released a statement stating, “...it has come to our knowledge that a message is being spread in social media that Government and Forest department are planning to construct and destroy longwood shola and thereby threaten the water safety of the people of Kotagiri. Forest department categorically rejects this as false narrative. The intention of the department is to establish a Conservation centre to spread awareness on the need for conservation of shola. The project was carefully planned in the existing vacant site in the Longwood shola, however there was no construction of any kind was initiated in this regard in Longwood as the project is still in the formulation stage.”