Widening elephant corridors via compensatory afforestation

Forest Department aims to facilitate their free movement and reduce conflicts
In a move that could augur well for the future of elephants, the Forest Department is set to procure large swathes of revenue land abutting identified elephant corridors to facilitate their free movement at critical links along the established migratory path.

Deputy Conservator of Forests of MM Hills V. Yedukondalu told The Hindu that the focus area will be around the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and the Biligiriranga Tiger Reserve, where companies will purchase private land and transfer it to the Forest Department.

P. Sridhar, PCCF (Head of Forest Force), said that it was being promoted under the compensatory afforestation scheme in which industries allotted land, anywhere in the State, have to compensate for it by procuring private land abutting forest boundaries.

The thrust is on procuring land abutting forest corridors to ease wildlife migration and reduce human-animal conflict on the fringes.

About 125 acres of land at Badarayanahalli have already been procured by a private firm and the process of transferring it to the Department is on.

“We have identified suitable land to widen the existing elephant and wildlife corridors besides sensitive areas close to the forest boundary where animals tend to come out and stray into human habitation,” said the official.

In all, nearly 1000 acres have been identified for procurement in the long run, said Mr. Yedukondalu.

The Edayarahalli-Doddasampige corridor is also set for expansion for which the authorities have planned to procure 150 acres of land.

“The corridor connects the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple and MM Hills wildlife sanctuaries and is at present around 1.5 km in length. We plan to extend it by another 500 metres and widen the existing corridor to 2 km,” said the official.

Of the 150 acres proposed, around 100 acres will be on the MM Hills side close to Budipadaga village.

Incidentally, an NGO, Wildlife Trust of India, procured nearly 25 acres of land from farmers and handed it over to the State government to secure the Edayarahalli-Doddasampige corridor some years ago and the same was poised for expansion.

Santosh Kumar, wildlife activist, said the plan was welcome provided the local community volunteered to surrender the land besides being paid the market rate as compensation.

However, Mr. Yedukondalu said that people were keen to sell their land as agriculture was under rain-fed conditions and seasonal.

“This is a win-win situation for both the local community and wildlife and will help mitigate conflicts,” he added.

The bulk of the proposed acquisition will be in Chamarajanagar district which is home to Bandipur, BRT Tiger Reserve, MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, which support nearly 3,000 elephants and the land acquisition will widen their migratory path and ease their movement.

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