There is a ray of hope for hundreds of urban waterbodies, victims of urbanisation and industrial pollution. A combination of bio-ozolyte treatment process and bio-remediation adopted by the State government to save the Ooty Lake, can be used to recover these polluted water bodies.

According to officials, phosphorus and nitrogen are responsible for the rapid growth of water hyacinth, that has invaded many water bodies. The bio-processes will increase the dissolved oxygen (DO), by bringing down the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). DO improves quality of water and replenishes life in water bodies.

Built to prevent flooding, channel is now a garbage dump

Work on tackling a chronic problem relating to the pollution of the Ooty Lake, which has been defying a solution for long, started on Saturday with workers of the Public Works Department — Water Resources Organisation (PWD-WRO) getting into the Kodappamund channel. The channel, extending over about 2.9 kilometres, from Kodappamund at one end of the town to the Ooty Lake at the other end, has been identified as the main reason for the lake getting polluted.

Water scarcity has become a serious source of concern particularly in Ooty, Coonoor and their surroundings, said The Nilgiris Collector Archana Patnaik here on Thursday.

Pointing out that the district administration is resorting to various measures to mitigate the hardship of the people, she said that as part of a contingency plan panchayats have been permitted to sink borewells.

New Delhi: They may disappear even before we get to know them. Four Indian species feature in a list of the ‘100 most threatened’ species in the world.

Heightened activity was witnessed near the Ooty Lake on Thursday following an inspection of the lake and its surroundings carried out on Tuesday by the Principal Secretary, Environment and Forest, C.V. Shankar.

The inspection carried out by district and civic officials followed a study which indicated that the Ooty Lake is one of the dirtiest lakes in the State. Since the effluents from commercial buildings and houses flowing through the Kodappamund channel which cut through the town were found to be a major contributory factor for the lake being in its present polluted condition, municipal workers were entrusted with the task of diverting them.

State Pollution Control Board says water unsuitable for potable purposes

The lake in Udhagamandalam, popularly known as Ooty, is, according to a study by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), one of the most polluted water bodies in the State. Its water quality, the study says, is unsuitable for potable purposes. A major tourist attraction in the popular hill station, the lake now emits a foul odour, thanks to untreated sewage being let out into it.

The District Forest Officer, the Nilgiris North, S.Ramasubramanian said here on Tuesday that a wild animal census in the North division would be conducted on May 2 and 3.

About 70 volunteers including students of the Government Arts College and forest staff would participate in the census operations to be conducted by the department in association with the Nilgiris Wildlife and Environment Association.

Councillors urged to tackle problems of the town

In a bid to bring about stake holder participation in raising the standard of hygiene and sanitation in this hill station, a meeting was organised at the municipality here on Thursday. Among the participants were officials and members of the Udhagamandalam municipal council.

Erring traders warned not to flout rules

Agriculture Minister K.A.