Survey nos missing in Moyar Valley elephant corridor map

Udhagamandalam: Proposed in 2009, the Moyar Valley Elephant Corridor through Sholur, Masinagudi, Hulathi and Kadanadu panchayats in Segur plateau of the Nilgiris district, is yet to realise as it is fraught with several problems.
While a case had been pending in the Supreme Court for the past six years, a few survey numbers are missing in the corridor map notified by the state government. The case would come up for hearing on April 8, 2018.

According to forest officials, missing survey numbers in the map, which was prepared by an expert committee, would be notified soon by publishing them in local newspapers.

Based on four Madras high court orders dated between 2008 and 2010, the state government had on August 31, 2010, issued an order confirming the elephant corridor map published on January 6, 2010.

As per the Nilgiris gazette notification dated July 6, 2011, which was issued in compliance of Madras high court order dated December 3, 2009, the elephant corridor covers an area of 24,503.86 hectares across Sholur, Masinagudi, Hulathi and Kadanadu panchayats in Segur plateau of the Nilgiris district.

Of this, 21,625 hectares come under forest land, 1,185 hectares under government land and 1,692 hectares under patta land. A few tribal hamlets also fall within the purview of the corridor. The patta land comprises 397 survey numbers, including tea estates.

The state government issued another order on November 1 5, 2011, regarding acquisition of 515.22 acres of private/patta land. The order said a committee constituted for the purpose shall explore the possibility of acquiring patta lands with the willingness of the farmers who can spare their land to restore elephant corridor.

However, patta land owners approached the Supreme Court with special leave petitions numbering about 32, challenging the high court orders.

“With regard to the proposed elephant corridor, there are 32 special leave petitions by the private patta land owners and the forest department has submitted counter affidavits for all of them. A few survey numbers are, however, missing in the notified corridor map. We will soon notify them,” S Kalanidhi, district forest officer (north division) told TOI.

Asked whether the corridor would affect the patta land owners, Kalanidhi said, “The existing activity of the owners will not be stopped. Also, tribal and forest dwellers will not be disturbed. But, critical corridor obstructions will be removed.”

The state government’s affidavit to the petitions also states that the proposed elephant corridor would involve only a management activity to take care of the welfare of the elephant and other wildlife. “It has nothing to do with the possession, legal ownership and rights of the petitioners.”

One of the complexities, however, is that elephant corridor is part of buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Also, these areas have already been declared as forest under the Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forest Act, 1949, which was promulgated by the government keeping in view the local ecology and environmental concerns.

In 2009, the Centre had communicated to all states a tentative list of 138 state corridors, 28 interstate corridors and 17 international corridors and asked them to identify all elephant corridors in their respective states and take steps to notify them under appropriate Acts.