Latest news with #Forestdepartment
The Hindu
a day ago
- General
- The Hindu
Illegal fences by tea estates primary cause of rising human-elephant conflict in Gudalur: Forest department
The Tamil Nadu Forest department believes illegal fences, erected by large tea estates in the Gudalur region, are the primary drivers causing negative human-elephant interactions in the region. Residents and politicians from Gudalur have been staging protests against the Forest department and the government, alleging that a lack of elephant-proof trenches and general apathy were driving elephants into human settlements. These included areas such as Padanthorai and Srimadurai, where locals allege elephants were not seen until recently. However, dismissing these assertions, Vengatesh Prabhu, Divisional Forest Officer (Gudalur), said by comparing notes from noted conservationist, E.R.C. Davidar, it was clear there were 11 migratory paths used by elephants that cut through Gudalur connecting Mudumalai Tiger Reserve with Nilambur and Wayanad in Kerala. 'These migratory paths, identified in the 1980s, coupled with our learnings, show Gudalur was only used as a migratory route by elephants till the 2000s and was not a habitat for a settled permanent population until the last two decades,' said Mr. Prabhu. 'In fact, in 2002-2003, when the only resident elephant in the region, a makhna, had died, people came out in droves to pay homage to the animal,' he added. To identify the probable factors that had led to elephants settling in the region, Forest department officials began combing through records of human deaths caused by elephants. They found that it was only after 2008 that human deaths began increasing. Mr. Prabhu believes this coincides with the period when the major estates in the region began fencing their large estates, some measuring thousands of acres, with barbed wire and electric fencing. 'The elephants, which were using this landscape only as a migratory path, began to settle in the region as they simply had nowhere to go as they were penned in by the fences from all sides,' said the DFO. The Forest department now believes all 11 migratory paths that had been used by elephants to move through the region have become blocked by illegal settlements, fences, plantations, encroachments, and other bottlenecks, creating a resident population of elephants that are unable to move between habitats. The Forest department believes some elephants are still able to move between the different habitats through Gudalur, including between the Sigur plateau and Kerala, but that these movements are random and are unpredictable due to the bottlenecks created by human settlements. Elephant experts and conservationists from the Nilgiris said, if verified, that the blockages to elephant movement could be highly detrimental to the future of the Asian elephant in the region. 'Asian elephants move between different habitats for a variety of reasons, including socialising, seasonal changes in food availability, but most importantly, for mating. Only if elephants are able to move between different interconnected habitats, can population depression due to in-breeding be prevented and genetic diversity be maintained,' said a conservationist from the Nilgiris who requested to remain anonymous. If the bottlenecks continued to thwart elephant movement, it could lead to a slow but gradual decline of the elephant population across the region over the next few decades, they cautioned. Mr. Prabhu said there were now elephants born in Gudalur who only know of living within the limited confines of the region. 'It is simply a myth that elephants were straying out due to a lack of food in forest areas or due to the elephant population increasing,' he added, stating that the Forest department was holding discussions with estate managers, local residents, and politicians in an attempt to convince them to remove fences preventing elephant movement in certain areas. Short-term measures For the time being, Mr. Prabhu said steps to mitigate negative interactions are being worked on. While solar-powered lights are being fitted along routes used by villagers so that elephants are more easily seen, high-tech AI-integrated thermal cameras are also to be fitted soon. These cameras will have the capability of noticing elephants from more than two kilometers away so that the public can be notified well in advance before they can approach human settlements, said Mr. Prabhu. A team of Forest department staff and local residents are also to visit the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve to study the technologies implemented there to ascertain the feasibility of these technologies for use in Gudalur. 'The Forest department, supported wholly by the government, is looking at creating a dialogue with local communities to come up with long-term solutions to mitigate negative interactions in the region,' assured Mr. Prabhu.
Hans India
4 days ago
- General
- Hans India
6.3 ft crocodile ventures into village
Kendrapara: A 6.3-foot-long female saltwater crocodile was on Saturday netted by forest personnel from a pond in a village close to Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district, officials said. Locals informed the Forest department upon spotting the reptile in the pond in Endulapur village. The forest personnel took three hours to net the crocodile in the presence of the locals. After the reptile was rescued, the veterinarians conducted its health checkup. Later, it was released into the wild after it was found in a healthy condition, the officials said. Though the crocodile strayed into the village, it did not attack any human. It might have entered the pond during high tide, a forest official said. The population of crocodiles in Bhitarkanika has risen from about 96 in 1974 to 1,826 as per the latest Census. Earlier, the Forest department had sounded an alert of possible attack from saltwater crocodile in certain villages in Kendrapara district following reports that reptiles were sighted in the adjoining Brahmani river which is in spate. The crocodiles are from the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary's water-bodies and the reptiles often stray into the connected river system. The rise in water level has brought in its wake the crocodile menace, with reptiles reportedly on the prowl in the low-lying areas on the upper stream of the Brahmani river. 'A departmental alert has been sounded in villages that have come under partial flooding of the Brahmani river water,' Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Manas Kumar Das, said. The crocodiles may attack people in villages under Rajnagar, Pattamundai and Aul blocks, the forest official said. 'With the river in spate, there are reports of crocodiles straying into water bodies in and around the places of human habitation. We have warned the residents not to venture into the flooded river and adjoining water bodies,' he said. Juvenile crocodiles used to stray in search of food and leave their original habitat. But due to their natural instinct, they return within a few days, said a crocodile expert.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
T.N. Forest Dept. restores unused stretch of intertidal barren land along Uppanar River in Cuddalore
A community-based ecological restoration initiative by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department by roping in the local community, has helped restore an unused stretch of intertidal barren land with degraded creek edges along the Uppanar river near Cuddalore. A mangrove island with native mangrove species has now taken shape on the stretch. For years, the revenue land owned by the Kudikadu panchayat near Cuddalore SIPCOT remained an unused stretch of intertidal barren land with degraded creek edges and suffered from neglect due to growth of invasive species. The land was selected for the restoration process since it comprised low-lying, saline-prone areas with natural tidal influence, making it ecologically ideal for mangrove regeneration. An assessment of the site was conducted and the Forest department initiated restoration efforts by planting appropriate species of mangroves based on the region's salinity and tidal conditions. According to B. Iqbal, Forest Range Officer (FRO), Pichavaram Range, 'The invasive species of Prosporis juliflora was removed and a modified fish-bone canal system was developed to facilitate natural tidal flow and sapling survival across a total expanse of 25 hectares.' 'In addition, linear planting of native mangrove species was carried out along the canal and creek edges, with a total of 20,000 saplings. Key mangrove species, including Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia marina, Exocoeria agallocha, Bruguiera cylindrical, Ceriops decandra, Kandelia candel, and Soneratia apetala were planted along the stretch. The entire plantation and their maintenance is being carried out by the local communities, ensuring community livelihood generation and stewardship,' he added. The fish bone model allows the water to reach every nook and corner of the field channels. This model has found success in earlier applications at Pichavaram. Considering the ecological significance and long-term conservation potential of this site, a formal proposal has been submitted under Section 26 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882, to notify this area as Reserve Forest. This would ensure long-term legal protection to the restored mangrove ecosystem. According to government estimates, the mangrove cover in Tamil Nadu is at 44.94 square kilometres (sq. km.), out of which 7.73 sq. km. is in Cuddalore. Straddling the Vellar and Coleroon estuaries, about 21% of Pichavaram is occupied by waterbodies, 27% by healthy mangrove vegetation, 38% by mudflats with sparsely grown mangroves, and sand dunes occupied the rest of the area. According to Mr. Iqbal, to further strengthen local participation and protective mechanisms, steps have been initiated to form a Village Mangrove Committee (VMC) at Kudikadu. This committee will involve local stakeholders in protection, maintenance, and awareness activities related to the mangrove ecosystem.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
For five tribal settlements in Munnar, proper road is a distant dream
In a stark reminder of the brutal realities faced by indigenous communities, L. Gandhi Ammal, a tribal woman from the remote Valsapettykudy tribal settlement in Anamudi Shola National Park under the Munnar Wildlife Division, writhed in pain for hours with no ambulance in sight — because there is no proper road. Injured on the way to the MGNREGS work, she was finally carried to the nearest hospital in Marayur on a bamboo stretcher by over 50 fellow tribespeople, trudging six kilometres through treacherous terrain. This ordeal unfolds as monsoon rains leave nearly 330 Muthuvan tribal families in five settlements cut off from basic services, trapped in isolation by the government's failure to build a proper road. According to Idukki block panchayat member C. Rajendran, there is a motorable road from Vattavada to Chilanthiyar and from Ollavayalkudy to Marayur. Between Chilanthiyar and Ollavayalkudy, which is a 13-km stretch, there are tribal settlements such as Valsapettykudy, Moolavallikudy, Vayaltharakudy, Swamiyaralakudy, and Koodallarkudy which are struggling for want of a proper road. One has to travel 103 kilometres to reach these settlements through the Munnar-Marayur route. Former Vattavada grama panchayat president R. Ramaraj alleged that officials from the Munnar wildlife division were obstructing the road construction intended for tribal settlements. 'People's representatives and local people tried to build a motorable road on the 13-kilometre stretch, but the Forest department opposed it. The five tribal settlements were isolated in the heavy rainfall. If the tribespeople need to visit other settlements, they must either walk several kilometres or travel over 100 kilometres via the Munnar route,' according to Mr. Ramaraj. Sources said the government had allotted ₹18.5 crore for the construction of a road connecting Chilanthiayar-Ollavayal through Valsapettykudy. 'However, the Forest department mandated that permission be obtained through the Parivesh portal for the road's construction. The funds were then redirected to another project,' they said. Mr. Rajendran said that due to the absence of a proper road, children in the five settlements had to be shifted to hostels at the age of five to attend school. 'If we construct a proper road, the children can live with families and reach the school through the government-arranged Vidyavahini project,' he said. Forest dept. version Meanwhile, Munnar Wildlife Warden K.V. Harikrishnan said the construction of a proper road connecting to the settlements would require 3.5 hectares of forestland. 'The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) can provide one hectare of land for development activities. If more land is needed, the user agency of the project should submit an application to MoEF through the Parivesh portal for permission. The Forest department will not oppose the road construction,' said Mr. Harikrishnan.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Another case of massive tree-felling reported from CHR
Another case of massive tree felling has been reported from the Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) area in Idukki. The present case was reported from Uchilukuth, near Pethotty, in Santhanpara. Sources said trees were felled, pond constructed, and earth movers deployed to clear a 40-acre plot in the area. Experts have warned that large-scale felling of trees may lead to the disappearance of cardamom farming in the area. Forest department sources said permission had not been granted to fell trees on CHR lands. Suni P.A., Ponmudi section forest officer, said the department had registered a case for illegal activities on the CHR land. 'The landowner had leased 40 acres to an Adimaly resident for cardamom cultivation. The leaseholder cut the trees and undertook construction works. A count of the number of felled trees is on,' he said. Botanist Jomy Augustine said trees on most of the cardamom plantations were being cut for cultivating the Njallani variety of cardamom, which required more sunlight. 'Though it may improve yield, it will be detrimental in the long run. Favourable climate is crucial for cardamom cultivation. Removal of trees will lead to rise in temperature in the area, affecting the yield ,' said Mr. Augustine. 'Pethotty is the entrance to the Mathikettan Shola National Park and considered the most endemic area of the high ranges. Felling of trees will lead to the destruction of many rare plant species,' said Mr. Augustine. Meanwhile, Congress district vice-president Arun K.S. alleged connivance of forest officials in the felling of trees. 'The government should take immediate action to stop tree-felling in the CHR area,' he said. Environmentalist M.N. Jayachandran said some forest officials claimed the felled trees were of low quality. 'The statement is unethical, and there are no low-quality trees in the CHR area. All trees are the same for the Forest department,' he said. Last week, the Forest department had registered a case after large-scale tree felling was reported from a CHR area at Pethotty in Santhanpara. Around 440 trees were cut from plots on the pretext of replanting cardamom.
