Udhagamandalam (TN), Oct 24 (PTI/GNA) In an attempt to
restore the traditional elephant corridor in the Nilgiris
region, a rare biodiversity zone in the Western Ghats, the
southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is planning to evacuate
private encroachers from forest lands there.
The lands in the corridor areas, allegedly acquired by
private people, would be restored in a phased manner and
steps would be taken once some of the cases related to the
issue are settled, official sources said.
The initiative will help to ensure the safe passage of
elephant herds through forest fringe areas, state forest
minister K Selvaraj said here on Saturday after inspecting
elephant corridors like Bokkapuram and Masanagudi in the
region.
As per the official figures, nearly 4,000 hectares in
the Nilgiris come under the elephant corridors, of which 1,500
hectares of land are held by private parties.
“Some people have approached courts in this regard and
the government will act once the litigation is over,” he said.
As part of the evacuation process, the government is
planning to take stern action against illegal resorts which
have sprung up along the 2.2 km long and 1.5 km wide corridor
in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the district.
Permission would not be given for construction of new
buildings in the area, the minister said.
Animal enthusiasts and environmental campaigners have
been demanding for the restoration of elephant corridors in
the region for many years.
It is essential to ensure the conservation of the natural
habitat and enable the passage of the jumbo community in the
Nilgiris region, which is rich in rare flora and fauna, they
said.
Tamil Nadu has 12 of the total 88 elephant corridors in
the country, with Nilgiris district alone having six. The
state also accounts for 4,000 of the total 25,000 pachyderms
in the country, sources said.
Source: GhanaWeb
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