Mithun resort among 11 sealed in valley

Ooty: Officials sealed 11 resort complexes in the Segur Valley Elephant Corridor in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve buffer zone limits. With this, tourism-based commercial activities in this corridor, is seeing the beginning of its end. 

While 27 of such unauthorized resort complexes were closed a couple of weeks ago, earlier this month, the apex court instructed the district administration of the Nilgiris to peruse the documents being submitted by the 12 other resort complexes to take appropriate action. 

After perusal of documents, the administration found that 11 of the 12 resorts had obtained permission from the concerned local bodies to build residential houses and later on, converted these into tourist resorts by adding more rooms/ structures to them and were carrying out commercial activities without proper permission. 

After issuing notices to the 11 resort managements on Saturday asking them to close down in 24 hours, on Sunday, officials plunged into action to seal the 11 resort complexes.  

The list of the resorts that have been sealed on Sunday is as follows: Rolling Stone, Jain Resort, Shilva and Cherriyan buildings and Wild Haven at Vazhaithottam, Jungle Retreat, Monarch Safari Park, Jungle Hut, Forest Hill Farms Guest House, De Rock Resort, Casa Deep Wood Resort and  Blue Valley Resort at Bokkapuram area in the corridor. 

Official sources said in all these resorts they have sealed the additional rooms constructed to run the lodge. However, structures that had been given permission for building residential houses have been spared. They will take action on theses after instructions from the court.

Sources added that the famed Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborthy’s  family is learnt to be holding shares in the  management of ‘Monarch Safari Park’ which has been sealed on Sunday. Action on one more such resort would be taken as perusal of documents is yet to be completed, sources maintained.