Ooty: Disappearance of lake Burnfoot still a mystery

Ooty: Recall the comedy scene  ‘Yen Kinnathai Kanoom’, involving comedian Vadivelu in the Tamil movie “Kannum Kannum” and it will make one burst into laughter.  

Strangely it appears to be true in the case of ‘Burnfoot lake’ at Thalaiyattimund area near Lovedale junction here, as the mystery over its disappearance over the decades still continues.

It is pertinent to note that DC in these columns on 4-6-2015 was the first to report on the existence of Burnfoot lake by publishing photos of this lake taken in late 1800’s and quoting evidences from Nilgiris district gazetteer of 1908, wherein there is mention about the existence of the lake in the pages 2 and 41 of the gazetteer.

However, no one exactly knows how this lake disappeared decades ago, paving way for farm lands in the erstwhile lake which is now extensively used by the private persons to extract water for commercial trade in the hills here.  

Though the greens made voices in 2015 to take action to retrieve this lake, the Nilgiris district administration failed to show any interest on this.

Now, the Ooty Town Public Awareness Association (OTPAA), wanted action from the district administration to pursue the available old records and gazetteer references to retrieve this lake to use this for a drinking water source.

G. Janardhanan, president of the OTPAA, said that a sizeable portion of the erstwhile ‘Burnfoot lake’ has been taken over the National Highway administration now to expand the road.  

“Since the portion of the old lake recovered by the NH was hitherto used by private persons to extract water for commercial use, the same spot should be handed over to the Ooty municipality to extract ground water, available in plenty in the lake’s rear portion, to supply it to town,” he urged.