Committee identies 42 elephant corridors in Tamil Nadu, invites public comments
A committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to identify elephant corridors in the State has brought out a list of 42 corridors and invited comments from the public on the draft report.
Comments on the draft, which can be accessed at https://www.forests.tn.gov.in/tn-forestdept-publications, can be sent to elephantcorridortnfd@gmail.com till May 5, a senior ocial of the Forest Department said.
The number of corridors identied by the committee is higher than the gure given by the Project Elephant division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in 2023. The division had identied 20 corridors.
The committee, comprising ocers of the Forest Department, scientic
The committee carried out a reassessment of the corridors through literature surveys, ground validation, and mapping.
experts, and scientic and conservation organisations, under the chairmanship of V. Naganathan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), carried out a reassessment of the corridors through literature surveys, ground validation, and mapping.
According to the draft, the synchronised census in 2017 reported 2,761 elephants, distributed across 26 forest divisions in Tamil
Nadu. The synchronised census in 2023 put the population at 2,961, distributed across 20 forest divisions covering 9,217.13 square kilometres.
The committee was tasked with reassessing the corridors, considering various factors, including fragmentation of habitats and increasing human-elephant con¡icts. According to the report, human-elephant con¡ict has been widespread across 20 forest divisions, with varying degrees of intensity. The Coimbatore, Gudalur and Hosur forest divisions, and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve reported an intense human-elephant con¡ict.
Corridors provide for the movement of elephants, facilitate gene ¡ow between populations and range shifts, and minimise human-elephant con¡icts, the report said.
Environmental activists in Coimbatore say the draft points to mining by brick kiln owners as one of the major threats to two corridors in the Coimbatore division. The Melbavi-Pattisalai-Singuli-KandivalliDamanur-Sembukarai corridor (the Anaikatty corridor), a typical foothill corridor wedged between forested slopes and human developments along the foothills, is abutted by brick kilns and their sand quarry sites, the report says.
According to the report, the ecological impact caused by red soil excavation for brick kilns in ¡atlands along the forest boundary has also disrupted a part of another corridor comprising Vellingiri Andavar Kovil FoothillsValkaradu-ChinnamalaiMaruthamalai foothills-Kanuvai hills-Mangarai-Madudanpathi-Kurudumalai eastern slopes. The report suggests that brick kilns within 1.5 km from forest boundaries be closed.