The Madras High Court has ordered to issue e-passes to tourists for entering Ootty and Kodaikanal between May 7 to June 30 in view of environmental emergencies. The respective district authorities have to be contacted for the e-passes.
The epochal tourist places have been battered by influx of tourists for decades and related decadence of the eco-system and infrastructure facilities. The perpetual traffic snarls and pollution have made the life of local residents in the hilly townships miserable.
According to the tourism department, around 8 lakh visitors flock to Kodaikanal during the peak summer months and the floating population leave a trail of environmental hazards in the form of garbage, pollution, resource depletion and so on.