A panel of wildlife experts constituted by the Kerala High Court has sought details of resorts and the land development plan from the Chinnakkanal panchayat, a prime wild elephant habitat in Idukki district.
Sources say the panel moved the court after the panchayat failed to provide the details to the panel.
The court then ordered that the panchayat president/ secretary provide the details to the committee on or before July 25, failing which the president or secretary should be present before the court on July 27.
“The Government pleader shall communicate a copy of this order to the secretary/president of the Chinnakkanal grama panchayat,” says the court order.
“The panchayat will submit the details before the convener of the committee before July 25. The panchayat is collecting details and submit them soon,” says Chinnakkanal panchayat president Sini Baby.
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on May 2 constituted a committee of wildlife experts to study and make short and long-term suggestions to prevent human-animal conflicts and restore wildlife corridors.
According to sources, the mushrooming of resorts in Chinnakkanal panchayat also hinders the smooth passage of wild elephants in the region.
The hydel tourism wing of the Kerala State Electricity Board suspended operation of boats in the Anayirankal dam, near Munnar, on July 15 on a directive of the Kerala High Court. Officials say the court’s directive was based on the expert panel’s recommendation.
Meanwhile, the Santhanpara panchayat, near Munnar, plans to implead in the case of boating ban in the Anayirankal dam.
Santhanpara panchayat president Liju Varghese says the ban has hit tourism at Poopara and Anayirankal. “The panchayat plans to implead in the case and we will take legal opinion,” says Mr. Varghese.
M.N. Jayachandran, district secretary, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says resorts and camps have blocked the smooth movement of wild elephants. “The rise in tourism activities in Chinnakkanal panchayat after the 1990s has resulted in human-elephant conflicts in the region. Most parts of the panchayat are passages of wild elephants and the tourism activities have blocked the movement of the wild elephants,” he says.
