Ooty residents oppose Silahalla project for environmental concerns

Residents in Ooty are strongly opposing the Silahalla Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Project. On March 24, 2025, people from over 20 villages gathered at the district collectorate in Udhagamandalam to express their concerns. They want the project canceled, fearing it will flood hundreds of acres of valuable forest and private agricultural land. The residents are worried about the impact on local wildlife, particularly in nearby Mukurthi National Park. They believe the project could threaten their livelihoods and make the area riskier due to landslips. The community is concerned that building the dam will worsen pollution in the Silahalla stream, which is already affected by agricultural runoff and sewage. Additionally, the Silahalla Environmental and Social Association (SESA) has filed a petition to stop illegal blasting and quarrying at the project site near Kundha. They say residents have been disturbed by explosions over the past two months. SESA highlighted that these activities violate a 2008 Madras High Court order to protect the fragile ecology of the Nilgiris.