Catching Arikomban gained’t assist, relocating 301 Colony will: Conservationists

Express News Service

KOCHI: While the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the forest division makes preparations to catch Arikomban, the rogue tusker that has brought about mayhem in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara areas of Idukki, conservationists have opposed the transfer. 

They mentioned eradicating the jumbo from Anayirangal gained’t finish human-elephant battle. They mentioned a everlasting resolution could be to relocate the residents of 301 Colony and declare the realm as Chinnakkanal sanctuary.

Meanwhile, residents have launched a protest demanding steps to catch Arikomban. Presidents of Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara panchayats will on Monday file purposes to implead within the case pending earlier than the High Court, which has stayed until March 29 the operation to seize the jumbo.

Environmentalist M N Jayachandran mentioned folks demanding Arikomban’s seize  ought to show it’s a rogue elephant and brought about human dying.  “The residents say two other elephants, Mottavalan and Chakkakomban, killed around 15 people. So after Arikomban is caught, their next demand will be to catch the two jumbos. Catching elephants and making them kumkis amounts to cruelty. We have to find other ways to address human-jumbo conflicts,” he mentioned.

ALSO READ| Four kumkis prepared for ‘Mission Arikomban’in Kerala; mock drill to be held

The origin of the issue, he mentioned, dates again to 2002, when the then A Ok Antony regime allotted land to 301 tribal households in Chinnakkanal, a pure wild jumbo habitat. 

Munnar DFO’s issues over relocation not heeded

Jayac handran mentioned: “It was a wrong move. Even Prakriti Srivastava, then Munnar divisional forest officer, had opposed the decision in a report. The colony is located in the natural habitat of wild tuskers, and is part of the elephant corridor that extends from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to Periyar Tiger Reserve.” He mentioned at current, solely 41 folks belonging to fifteen households are staying within the space.

“The rest of the 301 tribal families moved out due to the constant presence of elephants. Meanwhile, some of the land holdings have been transferred to non-tribals. The only solution is to shift the remaining families and declare the area as Chinnakkanal sanctuary,” he mentioned.

Former deputy conservator of forest N C Induchoodan mentioned a high-level assembly in 2006 determined to shift the residents of 301 Colony to the income land in Vallakadavu and convert the colony and its environment into Chinnakkanal sanctuary. “It never happened,” he mentioned, including,

ALSO READ| Arikomban went from orphaned calf to troublemaker

“The Munnar DFO’s report in 2002 had said converting the area into a human settlement would lead to conflicts as it was a natural habitat of jumbos. The situation at present proves that a technical opinion given by the forest department cannot be neglected or suppressed.” Had the Chinnakkanal sanctuary come into existence, it will have served as a contiguous tusker habitat together with the Anamudi Elephant Reserve from Parambikulam to Mat hikettan Shola, Induchoodan mentioned.

However , Chinnakkanal panchayat president Sini Baby mentioned Arikomban destroyed round 100 homes in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara panchayats. “Elephant attacks have killed 48 people in the two panchayats in the past three decades. Though it is true a majority of tribals provided land at 301 Colony have shifted due to elephant menace, the issue is not confined to the area. We need a permanent solution,” she mentioned.

Settlement trivia: There are three sorts of settlements in Anayirangal. The muthuvan tribal colonies have been round for over a century. Then there are non-tribal settlements like Singukandam, Thidir Nagar, B L Ram Suryanelli, Chinnakanal, Moolathara colony, Muthama Colony, Thondimala and Thalakkulam that have been established about 35-40 years in the past. The third is 301 Colony.

KOCHI: While the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the forest division makes preparations to catch Arikomban, the rogue tusker that has brought about mayhem in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara areas of Idukki, conservationists have opposed the transfer. 

They mentioned eradicating the jumbo from Anayirangal gained’t finish human-elephant battle. They mentioned a everlasting resolution could be to relocate the residents of 301 Colony and declare the realm as Chinnakkanal sanctuary.

Meanwhile, residents have launched a protest demanding steps to catch Arikomban. Presidents of Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara panchayats will on Monday file purposes to implead within the case pending earlier than the High Court, which has stayed until March 29 the operation to seize the jumbo.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Environmentalist M N Jayachandran mentioned folks demanding Arikomban’s seize  ought to show it’s a rogue elephant and brought about human dying.  “The residents say two other elephants, Mottavalan and Chakkakomban, killed around 15 people. So after Arikomban is caught, their next demand will be to catch the two jumbos. Catching elephants and making them kumkis amounts to cruelty. We have to find other ways to address human-jumbo conflicts,” he mentioned.

ALSO READ| Four kumkis prepared for ‘Mission Arikomban’in Kerala; mock drill to be held

The origin of the issue, he mentioned, dates again to 2002, when the then A Ok Antony regime allotted land to 301 tribal households in Chinnakkanal, a pure wild jumbo habitat. 

Munnar DFO’s issues over relocation not heeded

Jayac handran mentioned: “It was a wrong move. Even Prakriti Srivastava, then Munnar divisional forest officer, had opposed the decision in a report. The colony is located in the natural habitat of wild tuskers, and is part of the elephant corridor that extends from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to Periyar Tiger Reserve.” He mentioned at current, solely 41 folks belonging to fifteen households are staying within the space.

“The rest of the 301 tribal families moved out due to the constant presence of elephants. Meanwhile, some of the land holdings have been transferred to non-tribals. The only solution is to shift the remaining families and declare the area as Chinnakkanal sanctuary,” he mentioned.

Former deputy conservator of forest N C Induchoodan mentioned a high-level assembly in 2006 determined to shift the residents of 301 Colony to the income land in Vallakadavu and convert the colony and its environment into Chinnakkanal sanctuary. “It never happened,” he mentioned, including,

ALSO READ| Arikomban went from orphaned calf to troublemaker

“The Munnar DFO’s report in 2002 had said converting the area into a human settlement would lead to conflicts as it was a natural habitat of jumbos. The situation at present proves that a technical opinion given by the forest department cannot be neglected or suppressed.” Had the Chinnakkanal sanctuary come into existence, it will have served as a contiguous tusker habitat together with the Anamudi Elephant Reserve from Parambikulam to Mat hikettan Shola, Induchoodan mentioned.

However , Chinnakkanal panchayat president Sini Baby mentioned Arikomban destroyed round 100 homes in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara panchayats. “Elephant attacks have killed 48 people in the two panchayats in the past three decades. Though it is true a majority of tribals provided land at 301 Colony have shifted due to elephant menace, the issue is not confined to the area. We need a permanent solution,” she mentioned.

Settlement trivia: There are three sorts of settlements in Anayirangal. The muthuvan tribal colonies have been round for over a century. Then there are non-tribal settlements like Singukandam, Thidir Nagar, B L Ram Suryanelli, Chinnakanal, Moolathara colony, Muthama Colony, Thondimala and Thalakkulam that have been established about 35-40 years in the past. The third is 301 Colony.