Idukki District Collector Dineshan Cheruvatt formed a four-member expert panel to address rising human-elephant conflicts in Chinnakkanal, Rajakumari, and Santhanpara. The team will conduct field inspections and suggest mitigation measures within one month. They got the task to study elephant movement routes and protect local crops from wild animal attacks.
Amid a rise in human-elephant conflicts and human fatalities in Chinnakkanal, Rajakumari, and Santhanpara panchayats under the Devikulam forest range, Idukki District Collector Dineshan Cheruvatt has formed a four-member expert panel to identify the causes and suggest mitigation measures. Officials stated that the panel was constituted under the Disaster Management Act.
According to officials, the panel comprises P.S. Easa, former director of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and member of the IUCN Asian Elephant Specialist Group; Rajan Pilakandy, scientist at KFRI; Jomy Augustine, retired professor and former head of the department of Botany at St. Thomas College, Pala; and Murukesan, a tribal community member from Priyadarshini Colony (80 Acres), Chinnakkanal.
Terms of reference
Officials said the panel has been directed to conduct a detailed field inspection and submit its report within one month. The panel’s terms of reference includes the following: the overall ecological and environmental conditions of the affected areas; an assessment of major agricultural crops that attract wild elephants, along with measures to protect local farmers’ crops; the local vegetation profile—including the distribution of trees, plants, and shrubs—and how it influences traditional elephant movement routes.
It also includes aspects such as water resource availability and its impact on elephant movement; identification and mapping of traditional elephant movement routes and corridors; an assessment of obstructions or encroachments along these corridors, along with recommendations to restore or reopen blocked pathways using practical, sustainable mitigation measures; and eco-restoration measures in forest and adjoining areas to improve elephant habitats, secure long-term ecosystem sustainability, and minimise human–animal conflict in these three panchayats.
Logistical assistance
In the order, the Collector directed the Munnar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to provide honorarium and necessary logistical assistance to the expert panel. The committee will coordinate with Forest, Revenue, Survey, and Agriculture department officials, alongside other relevant stakeholders, to collect data and conduct field assessments.
The order further stated that the initiative aims to strengthen scientific evaluation and implement evidence-based measures to mitigate human–wildlife conflict in the region.