CPI wants T.N. Forest Department’s draft elephant corridor plan withdrawn

CPI urges Tamil Nadu government to withdraw elephant corridor plan due to lack of local input and potential negative impact.

Stating that the draft elephant corridor consolidation plan was prepared without taking into account the opinion of local residents, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw the draft plan.

The party’s Erode District Committee meeting was held in Sathyamangalam on Sunday, May 12, 2024, chaired by former Bhavanisagar MLA, P.L. Sundaram. Members said that the draft plan released on April 29 on the Forest Department’s website, had asked people to give their suggestions by May 7. “The draft is in English and has 186 pages. Asking people to understand the content and give their suggestions in just a few days is completely unfair,” members said. They also said the government should have published the draft in Tamil and should have given 60 days time to people to express the views.

The members also said the draft plan did not adhere to the criteria for the ‘right of passage’ that is spoken of in the Centre’s Elephant Project. They said the Forest Rights Act, 2006, has given village forest committees in forest areas the right to protect forests and wildlife, and they blamed the government for failing to implement the act properly in Tamil Nadu. They said only after the approval of village forest committees, could any new projects within forest areas be taken up, as per the Act. “But the opinion of the local people was not obtained before preparing this draft plan,” they said. 

Members said if the elephant corridors that are listed in the draft plan are notified, this would affect the livelihood of local people, and also would not benefit wild elephants. “The government should withdraw the draft plan,” the members said, passing a resolution to urge the government in this regard.