Forest dept clears encroachment in Chinnakkanal

The Forest section has cleared a large encroachment connected a wood onshore on a chaotic elephant corridor successful Chinnakkanal, adjacent Munnar. According to officials, the section manages a five-hectare conifer plantation dispersed crossed the Chinnakkanal and Rajakumari villages nether the Devikulam wood range. Encroachers had planted cardamom successful the catchment country of the Anayirankal dam reservoir — which belongs to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) — and extended the amerciable cultivation into the wood department-owned conifer plantation.

Devikulam Range Officer Arun Kumar stated that 18 chaotic elephants, including a well-known tusker named Chakkakompan, roam the area. “The chaotic elephants portion h2o from the Anayirankal dam and determination done the KSEB catchment country and the conifer plantation toward Shankarapandya Mettu,” Mr. Kumar said. “Recently, Chakkakompan attacked a two-wheeler rider successful Chinnakkanal. When our squad tried to herd the carnal backmost into the woods, it refused to move. During our hunt to find retired why, we discovered the amerciable plantation.” He said.

Officials further noted that the encroachers had cordoned disconnected the KSEB onshore and the conifer plantation with dense robust cables attached to the trees. This was done to forestall chaotic elephants from entering the amerciable cardamom cultivation, but the dense ropes wholly blocked the animals’ earthy migration path.

Unreserved land

According to section data, the five-hectare conifer plantation sits connected unreserved land, with 3.5 hectares falling nether Rajakumari colony and 1.5 hectares nether Chinnakkanal village. On Thursday, wood officials destroyed the amerciable cardamom crops and removed the robust cables, successfully clearing the encroachment.

The section volition taxable a ceremonial study regarding the substance to the KSEB. “We person already registered a lawsuit regarding the encroachment,” an authoritative said. “To guarantee the country remains clear, the Forest section volition conception a treehouse wrong the conifer plantation and behaviour regular way patrolling.” said Mr. Kumar.

Officials emphasised that Chinnakkanal has a precise constricted wood country to enactment its colonisation of 18 elephants. “When the elephants’ earthy paths and creaseless movements are blocked, they are forced into quality settlements, which leads to terrible human-wildlife conflict,” the authoritative added.