Committed to the conservation of Asian elephants, their long-term survival, and the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, the Tamil Nadu government has notified three elephant corridors in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary.

Pursuant to the interim orders of the Madras High Court, the government had constituted two committees to identify elephant corridors in two landscapes, with the Palghat Gap as the boundary.

The committees had identified 41 corridors, including three in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary, that is: Jawalagiri-Ulbanda-Thaggatti corridor (18.50 km), Jawalagiri-Panai-Anchetty corridor (20.90 km), and Bilikkal-Jawalagiri corridor (2.20 km) in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary in Hosur Forest Division, for recognition as elephant corridors. They had also submitted reports.

The PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden said these corridors serve as a vital and viable connectivity link between the inter-State boundary of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The elephants migrate across the boundary in response to monsoonal changes and habitat requirements, and the continued survival and ecological security of the elephant population in this region depend upon the preservation and protection of these corridors, he said.

The CWLW stated that the three proposed elephant corridors were situated entirely within the reserved forest and that no revenue villages, public lands, or private lands fell within their boundaries.

He also stated that the Jawalagiri-Ulibanda-Thaggatti elephant corridor extends for a length of 18.50 km, with a width ranging from 0.73 km to 3.20 km, covering a total extent of 3,241.53 hectares. The Jawalagiri-Panai-Anchetty corridor extends for a length of 20.90 km, with a width ranging from 0.80 km to 5.00 km, covering a total extent of 6881.47 hectares, while the Bilikkal-Jawalagiri corridor extends for a length of 2.20 km, with a width ranging from 0.66 km to 1.50 km, covering a total extent of 196.00 hectares.

The committee had also stated that recognising these three as elephant corridors would not cause any inconvenience to the public, as the rights were already settled in the area and there was no need for any new restrictions or guidelines. Although these corridors were fully within the reserve forest and sanctuary and already enjoyed the highest level of protection, recognising them as “elephant corridors” would have a positive impact on the conservation value of the region.

Based on the CWLW’s recommendations, the government has notified the three elephant corridors, which would enable the trans-Cauvery migration of elephants and other large mammals between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Notification first: HC

When the case came up for hearing on August 31, the government had filed a status report stating that the notification of the three corridors was in the final stages of consideration.

With respect to the Thally-Bilikkal-Jawalagiri corridor, the status report mentioned that eviction had to be carried out first before the notification was finalised. However, Justice N. Sathishkumar and Justice D. Barathachakaravarthy were of the opinion that carrying out eviction was not a sine qua non for notification.

As a matter of fact, issuing the notification first would even enable faster and swifter removal of the encroachment. Therefore, the notification need not await the eviction process, which could be carried out simultaneously, the judges stated.