MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday sought a response from the state government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking directions to clean the Kodaikanal Lake periodically and provide sufficient toilet facilities for tourists visiting the hill station.
The litigant, G Thirumurugan, state secretary of Tamilar Katchi, stated in his petition that when he visited the aforesaid lake with his family during Deepavali this year, he found there were no proper toilet facilities in the vicinity. Since the e-toilet near the lake was in an unusable condition, I had to take his children to a nearby paid toilet at a resort, situated one-and-a-half kilometre away from the lake.
But the facility there was also non-functional and I had to travel an additional one km to find another paid toilet, which was also crowded as it was the only facility available in the vicinity, the litigant said, adding that a similar situation prevailed at other tourist spots in the hill station.
Thirumurugan also highlighted the increased growth of Hydrilla plants, stating that the invasive species can degrade water quality, decrease oxygen levels and increase the water temperature and its pH levels.
Further, Thirumurugan said there are no safety walls or equipment at the artificial fountain near the lake.
The government had announced an eco-restoration and infrastructure development project in Kodaikanal Lake for Rs 24 crore, but the said funds have not been utilised properly, he added.
A bench of Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete issued notice to the authorities concerned and directed them to file a counter affidavit and adjourned the case.