The Horasholions Welfare Trust has urged the Tamil Nadu Government to establish a long-term “Chief Minister’s Nilgiris Restoration Mission – 2035” to address ecological restoration, water-resource protection, land-use planning, disaster resilience and sustainable development in the Nilgiris under a coordinated framework.
The Trust said the Nilgiris should not be viewed merely as a tourism destination, but as an interconnected mountain ecosystem comprising shola forests, grasslands, streams, wetlands, watersheds, agricultural lands, wildlife habitats and hill towns. Any disturbance to this ecosystem could have wider implications for water security, livelihoods, tourism, biodiversity, agriculture and disaster management.
According to the representation, the Nilgiris is an important watershed region of South India, with approximately one-sixth of the water flowing into the Cauvery originating from the district. The Trust also highlighted the crucial role of shola forests and grasslands in retaining water and expressed concern over the long-term ecological impact of invasive and exotic species such as eucalyptus and wattle.
Tamil Nadu Government data cited by the Trust showed that the area classified as “Moderate Forest” declined from 657.1 sq. km in 2013 to 600.3 sq. km in 2023, representing an 8.64% decline in that particular classification. During the same period, Bare/Sparse Vegetation increased from 86.2 sq. km to 102.4 sq. km, while Built-up Land increased from 31.3 sq. km to 33.1 sq. km.
The Trust clarified that the 8.64% figure should not be interpreted as an 8.64% reduction in the total forest area of the Nilgiris. It refers specifically to the official “Moderate Forest” classification, while the same dataset recorded marginal increases in Open Forest and Very Dense Forest categories.
The representation also cited Tamil Nadu Government disaster-management data identifying 284 locations in the Nilgiris as vulnerable to natural disasters, including 68 locations classified as “most affected” and 89 as “more affected”.
The Trust said increasing instances of intense rainfall, flash floods, soil erosion and landslide risks, along with pressure on water bodies and changing land-use patterns, underline the need for an integrated approach.
It called for long-term planning and coordinated action involving ecological restoration, watershed protection, disaster preparedness, scientific land-use management and sustainable development to safeguard the Nilgiris for future generations.
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