Restoration of jumbo passage in Idukki: DCC president locks horns with Chief Minister

Even as the Idukki district administration takes steps to restore natural elephant passages in Chinnakkanal under the Devikulam forest range to curb human-elephant conflict, Idukki District Congress Committee (DCC) president C.P. Mathew has locked horns with the Chief Minister over the move.

At a press conference in Idukki press club in Thodupuzha on Tuesday, Mr. Mathew demanded that the Chief Minister withdraw the District Collector’s order to clear elephant passages in Chinnakkanal.

“The Chief Minister convened a meeting in the district the day after the order was issued, and the directive to revoke it ought to have been given during that meeting itself. The order has triggered widespread panic among local residents,” Mr. Mathew said.

Recently, Idukki District Collector Dineshan Cheruvatt issued an order directing authorities to remove illegal fences and encroachments blocking natural elephant passages in the area. The directive followed the death of Vijayan, a tribal farmer who was killed by a wild tusker, Chakkakompan, at Panthadikkalam under the Devikulam forest range.

Acting on the Collector’s directive, forest department officials dismantled illegal fences and rope barriers obstructing elephant movement. However, the order drew sharp protests from farmer groups, and local landowners later re-erected the fences and barriers that officials had dismantled.

Mr. Mathew also criticised the CPI(M) district leadership, demanding that they call off the district-wide hartal scheduled for October 16 over the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification issue.

“The CPI(M)’s key demand was the publication of cadastral maps regarding the ESA demarcations. The government has already published these maps, excluding 23 populated villages. The State earlier assured that agricultural lands and Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) settlements would be excluded from the ESA limits, and it has met that pledge. The CPI(M) must now withdraw the hartal and apologise to the people of Idukki,” Mr. Mathew said.