Once called the 'Queen of Hill Stations', Ooty is fast losing its long-known charms to unplanned urbanisation. Illegal constructions, bad municipal roads, overflowing sewage -- the constituency can hardly be called a tourists' paradise any longer.
Activists say land regulation rules should be implemented strictly as huge tracts of agricultural land in the fragile hill district are being converted into real estate.
Local people feel that the sitting AIADMK MLA M Buddhichandran did not take much effort to address the key issues of the constituency.
Heavy inflow of tourists throughout the year also has an adverse effect on the environment. Ooty witnesses about 25 lakh visitors, including 40,000 foreign tourists every year. And during summer, over four lakh vehicles enter the town.
"Building norms should be more stringent considering the fragile ecology of the hills,"says N Chandrasekar, secretary, Nilgiri Hoteliers' Association.
Despite a thriving tourism industry, employment remains a problem in the town. Ooty constituency, which comprises two taluks and 16 panchayats, lacks employment opportunities. "Here, tourism means either running a hotel or operating a cab and we already have enough hotels and taxis," says one of the residents.
Chandrasekar feels tourism is the only real job generator as the tea industry has been adversely affected by fluctuating prices. "Tourism should be given the status of an industry with a council so that it would be more organised. The government should include all stakeholders in the council," he says.
For more than three decades, the economy of the Nilgiris had been centred on tea, tourism and the Hindustan Photo Films Factory (HPF). In 2004, the Centre decided to close down HPF along with six other public sector undertakings.
Meanwhile, fluctuating tea prices have hit the small growers badly. Apart from small-scale vegetable cultivation and floriculture, the tea sector employs mostly villagers either as small farmers or labourers. A stable tea price is the main demand of the villagers. Over 150 villages are located in the 16 panchayats of the Ooty constituency.
On civic issues too, Ooty residents have a long list of demands as the constituency has largely been ignored. To begin with, the hill station needs a proper drainage system that connects with the Koddappamund channel running through the heart of the town. During the rainy season, which lasts for over three months, sewage gets mixed with storm water and overflows on the streets.
According to Shobana Chandrasekar, founder, Make Ooty Beautiful (MOB), a voluntary organisation involved in cleaning the town, proper garbage management is the need of the hour. "The drainage system in Ooty town is outdated. And most of the areas in the town do not have proper drainage system," says Shobana.
"In the past, the contestants had promised many things for the hill town and the constituency but very little has been done. We need a proper local transport system and a free walk-path free of encroachments in the town,", adds Chandrasekar.
Local people also demand an organised parking facility in the town. Though considered a stronghold of the Congress, the constituency has chosen AIADMK the maximum number of times.
This time, the current president of the Nilgiri District Congress Committee R Ganesh has been fielded by the TNCC, while Kappachi Vinoth, a relatively lesser known candidate, will fight the election on behalf of AIADMK.
Activists say land regulation rules should be implemented strictly as huge tracts of agricultural land in the fragile hill district are being converted into real estate.
Local people feel that the sitting AIADMK MLA M Buddhichandran did not take much effort to address the key issues of the constituency.
Heavy inflow of tourists throughout the year also has an adverse effect on the environment. Ooty witnesses about 25 lakh visitors, including 40,000 foreign tourists every year. And during summer, over four lakh vehicles enter the town.
"Building norms should be more stringent considering the fragile ecology of the hills,"says N Chandrasekar, secretary, Nilgiri Hoteliers' Association.
Despite a thriving tourism industry, employment remains a problem in the town. Ooty constituency, which comprises two taluks and 16 panchayats, lacks employment opportunities. "Here, tourism means either running a hotel or operating a cab and we already have enough hotels and taxis," says one of the residents.
Chandrasekar feels tourism is the only real job generator as the tea industry has been adversely affected by fluctuating prices. "Tourism should be given the status of an industry with a council so that it would be more organised. The government should include all stakeholders in the council," he says.
For more than three decades, the economy of the Nilgiris had been centred on tea, tourism and the Hindustan Photo Films Factory (HPF). In 2004, the Centre decided to close down HPF along with six other public sector undertakings.
Meanwhile, fluctuating tea prices have hit the small growers badly. Apart from small-scale vegetable cultivation and floriculture, the tea sector employs mostly villagers either as small farmers or labourers. A stable tea price is the main demand of the villagers. Over 150 villages are located in the 16 panchayats of the Ooty constituency.
On civic issues too, Ooty residents have a long list of demands as the constituency has largely been ignored. To begin with, the hill station needs a proper drainage system that connects with the Koddappamund channel running through the heart of the town. During the rainy season, which lasts for over three months, sewage gets mixed with storm water and overflows on the streets.
According to Shobana Chandrasekar, founder, Make Ooty Beautiful (MOB), a voluntary organisation involved in cleaning the town, proper garbage management is the need of the hour. "The drainage system in Ooty town is outdated. And most of the areas in the town do not have proper drainage system," says Shobana.
"In the past, the contestants had promised many things for the hill town and the constituency but very little has been done. We need a proper local transport system and a free walk-path free of encroachments in the town,", adds Chandrasekar.
Local people also demand an organised parking facility in the town. Though considered a stronghold of the Congress, the constituency has chosen AIADMK the maximum number of times.
This time, the current president of the Nilgiri District Congress Committee R Ganesh has been fielded by the TNCC, while Kappachi Vinoth, a relatively lesser known candidate, will fight the election on behalf of AIADMK.