CHENNAI: The Ootacamund Gymkhana Club has applied for forest clearance to continue its golfing operations on 43.73 hectares of forest land in the Wenlock Downs Reserve Forest in the Nilgiris. However, the club’s plan has hit a roadblock as the officials have found several gaps in the application.
The club, established in 1896 and registered as a ‘not-for-profit’ under Section 25 of the Companies Act, has operated the golf course for over a century. The land in question was officially notified as reserve forest in 1900.
However, following the enactment of the Forest Conservation (FC) Act, 1980, any diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes requires prior approval from the centre. The SC, in an order dated March 4, 1997, allowed the club to continue operations under the supervision of the collector and divisional forest officer until clearance is obtained.
Despite this, the club only submitted its formal application decades later (last month). In 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in a letter dated March 6, had reminded the TN forest department that the club was using 43.73 hectares of forest land and required approval under the FC Act.
Upon reviewing the current application, the Tamil Nadu Project Screening Committee, which met last month on May 21, found shortcomings, including lack of justification report explaining the need to continue the project within forest land, and missing documentation from earlier forest clearance pleas.
Further, compensatory afforestation plans were found lacking. Against the required 43.73 hectares, the club submitted KML data for only 21.207 hectares. Key documents were not furnished. Additionally, details about compliance with the Forest Rights Act and pending lease payments of nearly Rs 80 crore were not addressed.
Officials have directed the club to rectify this before the application can be considered. Until then, the matter remains pending.
A forest official told TNIE that the decision on pending lease amount will be taken by the state. “The club originally was in possession of 78.33 hectares, of which forest department took back 34.603 hectares. Now, the application seeking forest clearance is filed for the remaining land. After MoEF&CC order in 2019, the club identified an equivalent land parcel near Singur forest range and site inspection was also completed. The club will be permitted to undertake only golfing and the land classification will remain as reserve forest.”
However, activists allege that 43 hectares near Ooty is worth hundreds of crores. “This is no non-profit. They run commercial operations. So, the pending lease amount must be collected,” said Antony Rubin, member, State Board for Wildlife.
Honorary secretary of Ootacamund Gymkhana Club B Nanjundan was not available for comments.