48 hours to lock, seal Nilgiris resort

Justice S M Subramaniam pointed out the ACCORD was running a luxury resort deep in a reserve forest, constructed bungalows, where many foreign nationals were holidaying.

Concurring with the State's submission, Justice Subramaniam said, 'All claims of uplifting tribals were only on paper, and placed before the court to circumvent illegalities and escape the clutches of law.'

At stake is 230 acresof prime forest land.

Madras High Court gives 48 hours to lock, seal luxury resort  
Times of India, August 24, 2018. 

notices to 10 more resorts

Of the 39 resorts mentioned as illegal, 27 had been sealed on August 12, as oer the apex court's order.

Remaining 12 resorts were asked on August 9, asked to produce relevant documents.

10 of the 12 were found to be illegal. Remaining 2 have 20 structures, while only 11 have licence.

After 24 hours notice 10 resorts will be sealed as per apex court order.

- Shantha.Thiagarajan@timesgroup.com
Govt issues notices to 10 more resorts in jumbo corridor - Times of India, August 21,  201 2018  - Times Region.

Tourist and commercial operators protest

Organisations began a 3 day protest in Masinagudi after the closure of illegal resorts in the elephant corridor of Moyar valley.

Their demands include proclamation of individual and community rights, amending the present Forest Rights Act 2006.

Commercial establishments, restaurants and shops have shut down, in an act of solidarity.

Closure observed in Masinagudi
Times Of India,    August 15, 2018. 

Sealing on Sunday

The resort complexes have 2 to 27 cottages each, and employ over 200 people.
27 resorts have been issued notices.
Sealing process will begin on Sunday.
"An elephant is a Federal heritage animal. This is how we treat our Federal heritage," Justice Lokur remarked.

- The News Minute

resorts get closure notice

Nilgiris Collector told Times of India, "As per the Court order we are issuing notice to 27 illegal resorts, to enable them to vacate the premises."

In an earlier report submitted to the Court, the collector had said, 821 buildings were identified in the habitat that links Bandipur, the north-eastern slopes of Nilgiris and further down. The report stated that there were 309 resorts of which 39 had restaurant facilities.

Times of India     August 11, 2018

SC cracks whip

Supreme Court on Thursday directed the State to seal 27 resorts within 48 hours. 12 were asked to produce documents.

Earlier Nilgiris Collector told the court that 39 resorts were running illegally.

That 12 have not got approval;  27 have approvals to build residences - but have converted them into resorts.

Times of India     August 10, 2018. 

SC asks for plan of action

Supreme Court on Thursday directed Nilgiris Collector to come out with an action plan about new resorts in the Moyal valley elephant corridor. Madras High Court had passed an order in 2009, seeking a status report on removal of encroachments.

Activist K Mohan Rajam welcomed the Supreme Court direction.
He said the State government must immediately demolish 400 resorts that have come up illegally.
This valley in the Nilagiri Biosphere Reserve holds the single largest population of Asian elephants and tigers, in the world.

Times of India   July 13, 2018. 

resort manager held for elephant death

Ooty:  Manager of a resort in Bokkapuram area, where carcass of an elephant was found, on Thursday, was arrested for not closing a pit in the premises.

Manjunath was arrested on Friday under the Wildlife protection act 1972, for negligence.

The area is known for elephant movements, says S Kalanidhi, District Forest Officer - Northern Division. 

- Times of India   March 24, 2018

transferred for taking appropriate action

District Forest Officer of Tiruvannamalai district B C Archana Kalyani was transferred - after she initiated action on illegal road works in Jawadhu hills.

District Collector K S Kandaswamy wrote to Secretary of Environment and Forests, seeking transfer and departmental action against her, for being a stumbling block for 'development works'.

Strongly worded letter from the Collector created a flutter in a recent meeting chaired by the Forest Minister Dindugul C Srinivasan. The minister questioned the Forest Officer and she defended her actions in the meeting.

Forest officer transfered for acting on illegal laying of roads
Times of India    August 1,  2018

relocation of human settlements

Acquisition of forest corridors and linking territorial paths reserve forests, is stated as a strategy in the State Forest Policy 2018, released by the Chief Minister on Tuesday.

It seeks to protect elephants and other endemic species.

Forest policy 2018 for human relocation.
Times of India July 25, 2018.

Forest patrol

Recently an elephant and it's calf strayed into Thadagam, a human settlement near Coimbatore.
The calf entered a house where a couple were sleeping.
The woman called for help.
A rapid response patrol team of the Forest Department reached in a few minutes.
And drove away the animals with crackers and srens.

Forest response team . . . .
Times of India July 25, 2018.