Rope car project at Anuvavi temple in Coimbatore will hamper elephant movement, say conservationists
The Hindu
Conservationists fear rope car project at Anuvavi Subramaniar temple near Periya Thadagam in Coimbatore district will disturb elephant movement & lead to human-elephant conflict. Forest Dept. & experts warn of ecological impact on animals, birds & butterflies. HR&CE changed darshan timings to reduce elephant movement.
The rope car project announced by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department for Anuvavi Subramaniar temple near Periya Thadagam in Coimbatore district will seriously hamper the ecosystem and movement of wild elephants, according to conservationists.
Even a large section of the Forest Department officials and field staff said they were not in favour of the rope car project, which in their opinion would disturb elephant movement and might force the animals to enter into human habitations.
According to the HR&CE Minister, P.K. Sekar Babu, the plan is to set up a rope car at ₹13 crore to facilitate hassle-free darshan to devotees, who now have to climb the steps to reach the temple that is situated in the middle of a steep hill in a reserve forest.
It is a common sight to see elephants crossing the steps close to the gate at the downhill as they prefer to traverse through lower elevation of the forests.
“Though it is not situated in an elephant corridor, Anuvavi is one of the crucial elephant transit paths in Coimbatore Forest Division. This area aids in movement of elephants between Thadagam valley and Boluvampatti Valley that is linked to the Kerala side,” said Coimbatore-based biologist G. Sivasubramanian.
The Anaikatti North – Anaikatti South elephant corridor, which is listed in ‘Elephant Corridors of India 2023’ released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, is located near Anuvavi.
D. Boominathan, Landscape Coordinator, Western Ghats Nilgiris Landscape, WWF-India, said that many ecological studies point out that Thadagam valley in Coimbatore is a hotspot of human-elephant conflict.
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