A recent field study conducted by an elephant corridor identification committee has brought to light preliminary information regarding the existence of as many as 36 corridors in Tamil Nadu. Of them, 17 have been identified in the south of Palakkad and 19 in the north of Palakkad, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden (PCCF and CWC) Srinivas Ramachandra Reddy has informed the Madras High Court.
In a status report filed before a special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, the PCCF and CWC said a publication titled Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors in India brought out by the Wildlife Trust of India had mentioned just 19 elephant corridors in Tamil Nadu. However, the recent study has revealed almost double the number, thereby posing several challenges in consolidation.
The status report served on litigant S. Muralidharan and advocate SP. Chockalingam stated that the Neyyar WLS Chithar corridor, Kodayar-Kanniyakumari WLS corridor and Panagudi Kalakkad WLS corridor had been identified in Kanniyakumari district.
Agasthiyar ER-Periyar RF and Karuppasami Kovil corridor had been identified in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts. Deviyar-Ayyanarkoil and Pilavakal to Elumalai corridors were found in Virudhunagar district.
Coimbatore district had five corridors — Anamalai to waterfalls estate; Siluvaimedu to Kadamparai; Top Slip to Navamalai; Sholaiyar Dam and Tantea corridor.
Similarly, there were five more corridors — Anaigiri Sholla, Palar Anjeeveedu, Kookal to Kuthirayar, Siruvattukadu Asaripatti and Oddanchatram — in Dindigul district.
Besides these corridors in the south of palghat, the PCCF and CWC listed 19 other corridors that were identified in the north.
Stating that devising strategies for consolidation, obtaining the funds for corridor rebuilding and framing guidelines for ensuring public cooperation to avoid human-elephant conflicts were being done by the committee, the PCCF sought three-months time to complete the task.
After perusing the status report, the judges wanted to know by next month the details regarding elephants that had died after biting Avattukai — country-made bombs used by poachers to hunt wild boars.
