A wild tusker, locally called Chakkakompan, disrupted traffic near Anayirankal in Munnar on Wednesday night. According to officials, Chakkakompan blocked the traffic for around an hour on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi stretch of National Highway 85 around 10 p.m. Forest department’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) members reached the spot, chased the tusker back to the forest, and restored traffic. The tusker also destroyed a roadside shop at Anayirankal.
According to officials, the 40-kilometre stretch from Munnar to Bodimettu of the National Highway is considered a major habitat of wild elephants. “After the new road was constructed, vehicles travel very fast. There are no warning boards or lights on areas where wild animals cross the road,” said a Forest department source.
Meanwhile, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said ₹6.96 crore was paid to the State Forest department last year to construct underpasses and ramps for elephants on the highway to ensure their smooth movement. Also, ₹1.36 crore was allotted for short-term mitigation measures and monitoring of human-elephant conflict along the highway.
