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DROUGHT IMPACT -- HOW DO HOTELS FACE WATER SHORTAGE IN THE NILGIRIS?

BY P S SUNDAR.

The hospitality sector in the Nilgiris holding investments worth about Rs 250 crore is facing a big challenge this summer season – acute scarcity of water.

“Shortage of rain apart, we are concerned that the civic authorities had not heeded to our repeated plea to dredge all reservoirs during the prolonged dry period, which means, when rain comes, substantial water will continue to run waste as holding capacity remains limited due to silt accumulation”, N Chandra Shekar, Secretary, Nilgiri Hotel and Restaurant Association, told me.

“Since mercury is already soaring to intolerable levels in many places in the plains, tourists are flocking in the Nilgiris even before the onset of summer festivities in May.  We expect higher inflow once schools close.  Order books of most hotels show that there is substantial increase in demand this summer”, he disclosed.

“Hotels do not have in-house self sufficiency in water and so are purchasing water from private vendors on a regular basis.  Depending upon the distance, use of motors and the volume ordered, hotels are paying ` 900 to Rs 1,100 per supply of 6,000 litres.  However, this supply is also facing problem due to shortage of rains”, he noted.

“What is worse, Ooty municipality has hiked the water tax for hotels this fiscal almost eight times the old level.   Due to increased competition even from unlicensed cottages, hotels continue with the tariff fixed way back in 2012”, Chandra Shekar lamented.

Nilgiris Collector Dr P Sankar said that he was liaising with hotels to help them get adequate water for the summer demand.   “In Coonoor where there is acute scarcity, we have dug six bore-wells which will supply three lakh litres daily.  We have also increased the withdrawal from Guerensey and Bellatimattam reservoirs”, he said.

The Taj group of hotels is facing the challenge with conservation measures as well.   “We have erected huge rainwater harvesting facility which helps a lot when it rains.  We have dug open wells in our marshy land elsewhere and are bringing in this ground water”, said R Muralidharan, General Manager, Taj Gateway Hotel, Coonoor.

“But, our focus is on conservation.  We have erected water treatment plants where we recycle the used water which we reuse in our gardens and grow, inter alia, trees to induce rains.  In the kitchen, we adopt a ‘Three Sink’ concept – wash, rinse and sanitise – helping to reduce the consumption of water. In our laundry, maximum load running for minimal water usage is followed. In the banquet, we supply water in smaller volumes to avoid wastage”, he said.

R Muralidharan, General Manager, Taj Gateway Hotel, Coonoor, explaining the water conservation method at the in-house laundry unit. 

“We advise guests to be choosy in throwing linens and towels for washing.  We have erected sensors to reduce water wastage and in the rooms, bath-tubs have been replaced with showers.  Even in the car-parking, we have erected multi-lingual boards to sensitise drivers on water saving”, he noted.

R Muralidharan, GM, Water treatment plant at Taj Gateway Hotel, Coonoor. 

“All these have helped us to serve guests without their feeling much of scarcity even as there is cost-saving for the hotel”, Muralidharan detailed.   

Tourism in the Nilgiris is related to nature and parks.  “We are facing acute water shortage to maintain parks.  We are buying water to irrigate the plants and lawns whenever required to ensure that the summer festivities including the world-famous Ooty Flower Show on May 19, 20 and 21 go on with pleasant memories for tourists”, N Mani, Joint Director of Horticulture, Nilgiris district, said.

“Tamil Nadu Government has declared all districts including the Nilgiris as drought-hit.  We have distributed relief fund to farmers”, he said.

Coonoor is facing acute scarcity of drinking water with the municipality supplying water only once in three weeks.  “When supplied, households stock water in all available containers, including tumblers!”, lamented S Manogaran, President, Coonoor Consumer Protection Association.  

“But, we are concerned about water wastage through leaking pipes remaining unattended to despite repeated representations”, he added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)