Environmentalists flag land use changes in Periya-Pakranthalam elephant corridor
The Animal and Nature Ethics Community Trust has submitted a representation to senior forest department officials seeking immediate intervention to protect the ecologically sensitive corridor
Environmentalists have voiced grave concerns regarding changes to the land in the Periya-Pakranthalam elephant corridor in north Kerala. They warn that ongoing excavation and construction work could disrupt elephant movement, exacerbate habitat fragmentation, and increase human-elephant conflicts in surrounding regions. The Animal and Nature Ethics Community Trust submitted a representation to senior forest department officials, urging immediate action to protect this ecologically sensitive area.
The Trust, led by founder T.S. Santosh, has called on key forest officials to halt ongoing land use changes and restore the corridor's functionality. Santosh emphasized that the Periya-Pakranthalam corridor is essential for elephant movement across a vast landscape, enabling seasonal migration, genetic exchange, and reducing encounters with humans.
The Trust alleges that the bottleneck area is already under pressure from existing obstructions like a mobile communication tower and infrastructure buildings, as well as the busy Mananthavady-Kuttiyadi road. They claim that private landowners are conducting express excavation and large-scale earth removal, potentially altering the terrain permanently and facilitating land conversion for non-forest purposes.
If unchecked, these activities could narrow or block the corridor entirely, forcing elephants into human settlements and increasing the risk of crop damage, property destruction, human casualties, and road accidents. The Trust also pointed out that authorities are legally obligated to identify and remove illegal obstructions from elephant corridors, following Supreme Court directives.
They demanded an immediate field inspection of the bottleneck, verification of the legality of recent changes, and suspension of all activities affecting elephant movement. The ANEC Trust sought action under various wildlife and forest protection laws and advocated for a scientific assessment of the corridor, coordination among relevant authorities, and the formation of a high-level expert committee to assess the corridor's ecological status and recommend restoration measures.
A forest official confirmed a case under the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth in Non-Forest Areas Act for alleged unauthorized tree felling on private land, stating that permission from the Forest department is required before cutting notified trees, even on private non-forest land. The official indicated that while the land belongs to private owners and shares a boundary with forest, any commercial development or large-scale alteration in this sensitive area could negatively impact elephant movement.
The district administration, geologists, and local authorities have been informed, and further action will be reviewed in consultation with the divisional forest officer.
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