Panel to suggest relocation of Arikompan to deep forests

Expert committee likely to submit report to the High Court on Wednesday. Agitation by local people enters fifth day

A five-member expert committee constituted by the Kerala High Court to suggest measures to prevent Arikompan, a wild elephant roaming in Munnar, from entering human habitations, will recommend fixing a radio collar on the tusker and relocating it to the deep forests, according to highly placed sources. The committee will submit its report to the High Court on Wednesday, they added. The forest area will be specified in the report.

The committee members visited Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara in Idukki, the panchayats most affected by the tusker attacks, on Monday and collected details. The committee had mainly discussed three options to address the issue. “The options were fixing a radio collar to keep track of the animal and releasing it to its habitat at Chinnakkanal, collaring and relocating it to deep forest, and capturing and shifting it to the Kodanad elephant camp,” said the sources. 

Agitation continues

Meanwhile, the indefinite agitation by residents of Chinnakkanal demanding immediate steps to capture Arikompan entered the fifth day on Tuesday.

Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose said the High Court-appointed expert panel ignored people’s representatives in the district during the visit. “When I called the High Range Circle Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), a member of the panel, the official asked me to send my recommendations through email. We cannot accept such a stand from Forest department officials. The visit by the expert committee turned out to be a farce,” Mr. Kuriakose told The Hindu.

“My recommendations in the issue have already been sent to the expert panel. It includes immediate capture of Arikompan and other effective methods be taken to prevent wild elephant attacks in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara panchayats,” said Mr. Kuriakose.

People complain

Local people alleged that the Forest department did not allow the expert panel to interact with them at the protest venue at Sinkukandam. “If the panel interacts with the protesters, they will get a clear picture of the human-elephant conflict in Chinnakkanal,’‘ said P.N. Sunil, Idukki district committee member of the Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA).