Difference of opinion for chopper service to Ooty
While tourism and trading sources welcomed the project to introduce chopper service in Ooty, environmentalists and the common man opposed it.Motilal Kataria, president of the Citizen’s Forum of Ooty, said ‘‘It would be helpful especially during medical emergency and bring Ooty under the air-map which would certainly attract tourists in a big way.’’‘‘One of the long pending demands of the Ooty public, especially the trading community, is going to be fulfilled. But the fare which is fixed for the chopper service from Ooty to Coimbatore is too high. They should introduce 15 to 20-seater chopper with reduced fares.Otherwise, the project would become nonviable,’’ said Heeralal, president of the Nilgiris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.N Chandrasekar, secretary of the Nilgiris Hotels and Restaurants Association, said ‘‘It would be a boost to tourism industry. Many foreigners and IT professionals would certainly avail this opportunity.Even the common man would like to fly, at least once, over the hill. It would help in case of emergencies. We hope the bookings in hotels would go up once the chopper service comes into being.’’Jayachandran, joint secretary of Tamil Nadu Green Movement, differed. He said regular chopper service over the thick forest areas would be a threat to wild animals as the heavy noise of the chopper may cause abortion in wild animals.As forest clearance is needed for laying roads, chopper service should be dealt under forest and wildlife law.
Moreover, if something bad happened to environment or wild animals, the chopper company should be held responsible, he added.Mohan, a toda tribesman of Muthanadumund, too had his reservation on the project. He wondered in what way it was going to help poor men like him.Would the government bear the expenses or give concessions in flying for the poor people during emergency, he asked.Praveen, a tourist from Chennai, said the project was a good idea but it would not be economical to tourists belonging to middle class families.
