facilities are KHMS Hospital, Van Allen Hospital, the Government Hospital, and the Prana Spa. These hospitals treat patients with common ailments and injuries and perform child delivery and care, but are not equipped with modern medical equipment for complicated diagnoses and surgery. KHMS hospital was formed in 2009 to provide quality health care to residents and visitors. In April 1915, Dr. Van Allen raised funds to construct the first unit of the hospital at the entrance of Coaker's walk. It was named after him. Its facilities have been updated and now it has an X-ray machine, well equipped pathological lab, and operation theatre with blood transfusion facilities. Van Allen Hospital established by a group of Christian missionaries to be a place where people could receive quality medical attention in a picturesque setting of comfort and caring atmosphere in Kodaikanal. Van Allen receives about 7500 as outpatients per year. The number increases during the summer due to the influx of the tourist. The Government Hospital is situated on the hillside near Rock Cottage on Lower Shola Road. It was a small municipal hospital until 1927. Now it has X-ray, dental, and maternity wards and other facilities. Kodaikanal mercury poisoning Air and water-borne mercury emissions have contaminated large areas of Kodaikanal and the surrounding forests. A study conducted by the Department of Atomic Energy confirmed that Kodaikanal Lake has been contaminated by mercury emissions. Mercury pollution was reported in Kodaikanal affecting lakes in the area. The causes, originating from a Hindustan Unilever thermometer factory nearby, were reported to be dispersal of elemental mercury into the atmosphere from improper storage and dispersal into the water from surface effluents from the factory. Apart from tests conducted on Kodaikanal lake, moss samples collected from trees surrounding the Berijam Lake, located from the factory, were also tested. These showed mercury levels in the range of 0.2 µg/kg, while in Kodaikanal lake the lichen and moss levels were 7.9 µg/kg and 8.3 µg/kg, respectively. Fish samples were taken from Kodaikanal lake also showed Hg levels in the range of 120 to 290 mg/kg, confirming that pollution of the lake had taken place due to mercury emissions from the factory. The Hindustan Unilever thermometer factory caused widespread mercury pollution through improper disposal of broken thermometer waste containing large quantities of mercury. The factory sold much of this waste to a junkyard in Kodaikanal and also dumped large quantities