On February 13, 2026, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) told the Madras High Court it will switch from petrol to electric outboard motor boats (OMBs) at Pykara lake near Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris. The TTDC Managing Director said, "the corporation will purchase only electric OMBs in future." This announcement followed court concerns about noise and pollution from petrol boats. The TTDC said it currently uses only petrol OMBs, not diesel, and claimed these produce minimal engine noise. "The petrol OBMs generate minimal engine noise and do not cause any sound pollution that would disturb wildlife or other species in the surrounding environment," the MD said. He added the boats are well maintained with no oil leaks into the lake and steps are taken to avoid water pollution affecting aquatic life. The TTDC clarified that the boating happens on Tamil Nadu Electricity Board land leased to them for 31 years, not in a forest area. "No forest land is involved in the operation. Hence, there is no disturbance to wildlife movement or ecological balance in forest areas due to the boating activities," the MD stated. Moreover, there is a strict plastic ban around the boating area with continuous monitoring. The TTDC also plans to introduce glass water bottles at its hotels in the Udhagamandalam region. The MD highlighted that Pykara's high-speed boating, including jet skis, is a major tourist draw. Stopping petrol boats immediately would disappoint tourists and cause big revenue losses. To balance environment protection with tourism, the corporation promised a gradual shift to electric boats without affecting current operations: "we would gradually convert the existing petrol OBMs into electric OBMs within a reasonable period of time, and it would not purchase any petrol OBM in future."