COIMBATORE: Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar told the Madras High Court that owners closed 13 resorts in Anaikatti as they did not have proper approvals. The Collector submitted a status report on October 7 after the court directed him to verify the documents of 33 resorts/establishments functioning in Veerapandi and Nanjundapuram village panchayats in Periyanaickenpalayam block.
Anaikatti Hill View Cottages, Bharath Holidays Resort, Corniche Inn Resort, Dolphin Resort, Firefly Farm House, GMax Hill View Farm House, KK Selfie Point Resorts, Madhuram Cottage, Hills & Valleys Farm House, G Max, Kaattru Farm Stay and two other unnamed cottages in Kondanur were closed by their owners. The status report is available with TNIE and stated that trhe team comprising officials from the DTCP, Rural Development, revenue and forest departments found that all these 13 resorts did not have approval from the DTCP or the local panchayat, building approval (except in the case of three resorts) or an NOC from the forest department.
The team has also issued final notices to 12 more resorts - Aara Jungle Resort, Blue Hills Club, Wild Woods Resort Anaikatti (renamed as Blue Hills Club), Brew's 43 Resto & Café, Elephant Country Farm Stay, Five Star Garden Restaurant, Sarva Farm House (now functioning as Farm Retreat), Sikara Farm Retreat (Farm Retreat), SR Happy Valley Farms, SR Jungle Resort, SR MD Cottage and Safari Farms Resort & Leisure - after finding plan deviations and as part of the process to close them.
Moreover, three more resorts, along with five individual residential houses and vacant sites, are functioning with approvals in the same Veerapandi village near Anaikatti.
The Collector also said that necessary action is being taken by the DTCP, rural development, revenue, forest and other departmental authorities in strict accordance with the directions issued by the court in its order dated September 18.
S Muralidharan, a petitioner in the case, said he had hoped that all the fencing should be removed to allow the free movement of wild elephants.
