.png)
Madikeri: The Codava National Council (CNC) has submitted an petition to the Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, calling for the immediate takeover of 2,400 acres of private estate land, in Kodagu.
According to CNC their demand focuses on establishing a sanctuary for conflict-zone residential elephants under the "Project Elephant" scheme.
“For the past 40 years, around 200 elephants have been living in human settlements within Coorg, isolated from their natural forest habitats. Due to food and water shortages in the wild, these elephants have permanently settled in these areas, leading to frequent human-elephant conflicts,” CNC Chairperson, N.U. Nachappa said. His petition highlights that around 100 of these elephants now reside on the estate in question.
The CNC argues that the estate, which lies in an eco-sensitive zone, is ideal for transforming into an elephant sanctuary. The land still supports a rich variety of flora and fauna, including sources of food for elephants such as bamboo and jackfruit trees, despite past deforestation. “Moreover, its proximity to the Dubare Elephant Camp and the Rajiv Gandhi National Park enhances its suitability for housing conflict-zone elephants.” petition added.
The CNC has urged the government to act swiftly, warning of the potential for the estate to be converted into luxury developments, which would devastate the local biodiversity. The CNC advocates for the expropriation of the land under existing conservation laws, ensuring it is preserved as a sanctuary for elephants while also offering long-term environmental and tourism benefits for the region.
To advertise on The Kodagu Express website, kindly give us a call or WhatsApp at 9108795369
Join The Kodagu Express WhatsApp Group: CLICK HERE
Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter)
Comments