sealing notice issued

The foundation resubmitted the proposal.

During inspection by officials in October, it was found that the construction had already begun.

And building plan was not tallying with the actual.

The foundation was directed to resubmit the plan as per construction made at site, along with No Objection Certificate from the Forest Department, Public Works Department and others.

The construction was not stopped.
'Stop work' notice was issued on November 2011.
Subsequently sealing notice was issued on December 24, 2012.

The New Indian Express,  December 18, 2013.

5000 litres /day - without permission

Like a soft-drink company, this group has blocked a jungle stream that flows by the Thanikandi village.
And has built a bridge.

And everyday, without permission, 5000 litres of water is drawn out from an adjacently dug well, for use in the encroached human settlements.

And jaggi's empire, puffs and swells by unchecked violations and cooperation of people in positions of power.

Elephants of the Boluvampatti  block-2 reserve forest are continuously disturbed by activities in these encroachments. 

- Nakkeeran, August 22-24, 2016.

followers of this group

Former and present day ministers are devotees and followers of this group.

It's tentacles twirl even in the Prime Minister's Office.  

Beginning with the ruled, ruling and salivating polity, bureaucrats, industrialists and media barons are strands of it's throbbing web.

The halwa they churn from their high places, makes it impossible for the district administration and forest administrators to be effective and credible in their professional life.

 - Nakkeeran,  
August 22-24. 2016,  Vol.29 No.43

Buffer Zones

"Machhili was lying behind the bushes in the national park's buffer zone, at Ama Ghati.

She had stopped eating since August 11, and had lost a lot of weight.

We heard a faint roar and then she was gone," said wildlife filmmaker Nalla Muthu, who had

documented the tigress's life for close to 10 years. And was there to film the end.

Times Of India
August 19,  2016.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Unlike tiger reserves that are notified under Wildlife Protection Act 1972, elephant reserves are notified under an executive order of the government and therefore lack legal status and the safeguards that go with it.

M D Madhusudan of Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore observes, " This is a peculiar situation. The elephant, as a species, receives the highest protection our laws can offer, but the land over which it ranges, does not have a similar level of protection."

Jumbo Conflict,  D T E, February 2014. 

clear violation of laws

"Forest land continues to be illegally used by ashrams at Andhari Khola at Anantpur reserve forest.
And alsoat Ganesh Khola in Aswakhola reserve forest in Dhenkanal district.

These are prime elephant habitats.

And elephants are now disturbed by religious ceremonies and influx of crowds." said Biswajit Mohanty, a renowned environmentalist.

In Matharagadi Reserve Forest, an ashram known as Nirbana Khola has sprung up.
About 2 acres of forest land has been encroached by felling trees and levelling of land.
Concrete building has been built on forest land.
Mr. Mohanty charged that these are clear violations of forest laws.

The Hindu, Bhubaneshwar

being heard in courts

Two important cases relating to human-elephant conflict are being heard in courts.

First is the decade-old Sigur elephant corridor case, filed in 2008.

State and federal governments responded by setting up committees to examine the merits of the litigantion's argument for retreival of forest land, while agreeing that the area indeed was an elephant corridor.

Tamil Nadu government in 2013 had dragged the Isha Foundation to court over alleged violations in constructions of buildings, without getting requisite clearances. Government argued that the buildings in question, were on forest land, meant for elephant movement.

The foundation denied all charges in court.
Case is being heard in Chennai High Court.
( The Isha Foundation did not respond to calls and an e mail on the case.)

Economic Times, July 17, 2016

Kattaiyan killed?

The elephant had strayed into Madukkarai.in search of food, damaging crops, destroying homes in it's hunger. And killing a forest department official who tried to drive it back into the forest.

Local people named the elephant, 'Kattaiyam', the stocky one.
Forest department chased and captured and sedated the animal; and they named the operation as
'Madukkarai Maharaj'.

The captured animal died a day after.
Post-mortem reports leaked to the press showed the cause of death as  fractured skull.

"We thought that the department would transport it to another forest zone and let it free. But it seems that their intention was to tame it into a Kumki," say the villagers.

- Economic Times, July 17, 2016

buy private lands for the elephant corridor

He is worried over construction of resorts in the name of ‘eco-tourism’ and also educational institutions on the fringes of the Nilgiris Biosphere consisting of Coimbatore, Sathyamgnalam and the Nilgiris.

“These constructions would hit wildlife activities and disturb the elephant corridor thus making the animals restless”.

He is happy that Tamil Nadu Government is the first in the country to have allotted funds to buy private land for the elephant corridor. “But this should be done immediately”.

The Hindu, March 3, 2008

shrinking wildlife habitat

Coimbatore: A 31-year-old farmer was trampled to death by an elephant near Sirumugai, about 45 kms from Coimbatore, police said on Tuesday.

Kanakaraj was last night riding a motorcycle when he noticed the elephant coming from opposite direction. Fearing for life, he dropped his two-wheeler and attempted to run for safety, they said. However, the elephant chased him and trampled him to death, police said.

Mid day, 26 April 2016

forest department under scanner

Tribal rights activists and scholar C R Bijoy wants the forest department also under the scanner. 
He argues that "large-scale clearance of natural forests initially by forest department to plant silver oaks, eucalyptus, teak and acacia also contributed to the situation apart from invasion by weeds like parthenium and lantana". 
The ban by forest department on harvesting bamboo by tribals led to their natural death as those people had ensured regeneration in the past. 

Big estates have cleared forests and these all have led to the depletion of fodder for elephants. 

The forest department's use of tamarind, jaggery, salt etc to attract elephants for tourists and later by resorts also resulted in a situation where elephants raid houses in search of these, says Bijoy.

Call of the wild, Times Of India

relocation of squatters / institutes from buffer zones

Activists advocate declaring more areas as forest to ensure their protection and prevent developmental activities. “The persistent conservation efforts has helped increase wild elephant population from only about 20 till a few years ago to about 30-40 elephants in Madukkarai alone. However, the forest cover remains the same,” pointed out wildlife activist Umesh Marudhachalam.

According to a senior forest official, the revenue department should strictly implement the standing order on maintaining buffer zones. “No construction activities should come up on the forest boundaries. If it is done properly, the animals will return to the forest after failing to find food or water on the boundaries. However, the local panchayat authorities have been giving permission without understanding the impact of man-animal conflict,” he said.

squatters on Jumbo corridor, The New Indian Express

No action taken

Forest officials, who were present at the monthly farmers’ grievance redressal meeting at the Collectorate here on Friday, had a tough time as they had to face serious charges levelled against them.

Farmer Zakhir Hussein of Vadakarai drew Collector M. Karunakaran’s attention to the ongoing illegal constructions inside the reserve forest area in the Western Ghats beyond Adavinainar dam in Mekkarai and how they obstructed flow of water into the reservoir and irrigation tanks. 

“When we raised this issue in the February-26 meeting, the Collector directed forest and revenue officials to jointly inspect the illegal constructions and take appropriate action. However, no action has been taken,” he said.

- THE HINDU

Law breakers offer to set up Law School

Human Resource Development minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that,  the land is not being allocated to Isha foundation for setting up a meditation and yoga centre,

"When Isha Foundation had expressed its willingness to set up three institutes - Leadership Academy, International School and Law School - we welcomed the proposal.  

Benefits accruing to the state from such institutions are carefully evaluated before allocating the land,” he said.

- The New Indian Express / April 24, 2015

400 forest land

Communist Party of India has launched an agitation  against Andhra Pradesh government's decision to grant 400 acres of forest land to the foundation of Jaggi Vasudeva.

Participating in a protest dharna, state CPI Secretary Ramakrishna questioned the grant.

-HANS INDIA

habitual offences?

Jaggi Vasudev, accompanied by state Human Resources Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao visited the forest land near Mulapadu on Tuesday along with state officials.

 The Congress' state unit has already opposed the move. 

" How can the government give away forest land - quite close to the new capital - to Isha Foundation?',  asked  Malladi Vishnu, former MLA from Vijayawada.

 - Deccan Herald / 18th April 2015