Ooty: The 140-year-old Nilgiris Wildlife and Environment Association (NWEA), the oldest of its kind in the country, is facing closure. Ms. J. Innocent Divya, the Collector of Nilgiris, who is also honorary president of the NWEA, said that she is waiting for a court order in this regard to take the final call. This association came into being in 1877 as a Nilgiris game association and became the NWEA since 1976.
However, groupism, internal politics and infighting marred the association in recent times and this was reflected by the scenes of some members locking the association office in 2012 and parading to the police station to complain against each other.
In 2015, NWEA affairs reached the High Court over some issues. Now, at least six of the 10 executive committee members submitted their resignations to the district collector.
When contacted, Ms. Innocent Divya expressed her displeasure over the present state of affairs of NWEA.
When asked whether she has recommended dissolution of NWEA, she declined to divulge details and added that she has submitted a report to the High Court as litigation is pending in the court and she awaits instructions from the court.
However, the copy of the report submitted to the court by the collector, which is in possession of DC, shows that Ms.Divya favours disbanding the NWEA as it is not able to fulfill its obligations and unable to adhere to its byelaws.
“At present there are 951 members in NWEA. None of the members, except for two to five, take part in the activities. Many members have affiliated themselves to NWEA only for social status and to call themselves environmentalists and conservationists.
The NWEA is busy tackling infighting rather than dissemination of knowledge on wildlife and conservation to the public. It is a defunct organization which has not actively involved in any conservation activity,” it is noted in the report submitted by the collector to the honourable High court.
