Mercury peaks on Ooty's mountains, new April high

Chennai: On Sunday and Monday, Udhagamandalam in the picturesque Nilgiris recorded its highest-ever temperature in April at 29 degrees Celsius. Less than four months ago, in January, the popular hill station nestled in the Western Ghats recorded near-zero temperature with nail-biting cold.

Extreme temperatures in winter and summer have led to serious concern with activists calling it an impact of climate change and demanding action to protect the hill station which draws about a million tourists during peak season (April-June), and its cool climate. 

The temperature on Sunday and Monday is 5.4 degrees Celsius above normal and this is the highest maximum temperature in Udhagamandalam, or Ooty, after a weather station was established in 1951. The high temperature is expected to continue for the next few days with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a heat wave in Tamil Nadu till May 3. 

The Nilgiris district is not just a tourist destination for people from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, but is also a lifeline for the western region of the state as most perennial rivulets originate from here. 

Monday also saw the Madras High Court expressing shock over 20,000 vehicles, including 11,500 cars, entering Nilgiris during summer. A division bench of justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy said all vehicles entering Udhagamandalam and another hill station, Kodaikanal, should obtain an e-pass to help officials collect data. 

The rising temperature in Ooty has caused a concern among people who are dependent on tourism. “We have never seen such heat in Ooty. If the temperature in Ooty also nears 30 degrees Celsius, which tourist will come here? We are worried about this development and we hope all stakeholders join hands to protect the environment,” Vijayan, a tourist guide, said.

IMD said the previous highest April temperature recorded in Udhagamandalam was 28.5 degrees Celsius on April 29, 1986. In January, Udhagamandalam recorded 1 degree Celsius in the first week of January, the lowest in many decades, though the hill station is cold during winter. 

S Balachandran, director, India Meteorological Centre, Chennai, told DH, “The summer is very harsh this year. The changes in the environment over the years also lead to changes in the atmosphere. This could explain the high temperature.”  

Activists have been warning about environmental degradation in the Nilgiris with several illegal constructions like resorts and hotels coming up in forest areas. Unchecked use of plastic, which is banned in the district, and open dump yards that lead to human-animal conflict also contribute to the degradation of the environment in the ecologically sensitive zone. 

Environmentalist K Mohanraj said the high temperature recorded in Udhagamandalam is an effect of global warming and climate change and called for more stringent measures to protect the Western and Eastern Ghats and the forest cover in the Nilgiris. 

“As far as Nilgiris is concerned, temperatures are not only going up in summer and going down in winter, but forest fires are also on the rise. Green activities should be promoted and the government should take up sustainable development studies to ensure that the environment isn’t compromised in the name of development,” Mohanraj added. 

He also said restrictions in ecologically sensitive zones should be imposed despite opposition from commercial establishments.