In a significant development, the State government will approach the Union government with a recommendation to exclude the Angel Valley and Pampa Valley villages from the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Addressing a public meeting to discuss the issue of those in the forest fringes at Erumely on Saturday evening, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran attributed the inclusion of these two villages in the reserve forest area as a technical glitch in satellite mapping and said steps had been initiated to rectify the mistake and submit it for the approval of the Union Forests and Wildlife Board.
The State government, according to him, was waiting for the Supreme Court’s order on the buffer zone issue to act in this regard. “Despite having a favourable Supreme Court order, attempts are being made to mislead people over the buffer zone issue and ignite a wave of protests across the high ranges,’’ noted the Minister, in his speech here.
