Elephants break into Kerala farm to drink clean water

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Wild elephants have been breaking into a state government-owned livestock farm in Kerala's popular hill station Munnar to drink clean water as the water in the town's Mattupetty dam has become polluted, an official said.

"We have brought this to the attention of the government who in turn have asked the Kerala State Pollution Control Board to find out what can be done to clean up the dam," a Kerala state biodiversity board (KSBB) official told IANS.

The Kerala Livestock Development Board, which owns the farm, has registered a complaint with KSBB that wild elephants have been smashing water pipes in the farm to drink clean water.

The pollution in the picturesque Mattupetty dam is caused by diesel or kerosene-run motor boats that are used to ferry tourists, an official said.

Munnar town is in Idukki district and is located 1,450 metre above sea level in the Western Ghats.

Elephant expert Jacob Cheeran said that on an average an elephant requires 125 litres of water to drink and more than 200 litres to throw on its body every day, and the tuskers prefer good quality of water to drink.

Chairman of the state pollution control board K. Sajeevan said that he would visit Munnar next week and speak to the officials of the farm and see what can be done to keep the water bodies there free from pollution.

The livestock farm, an Indo-Swiss project, was set up in Munnar in 1963.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Elephants-break-into-Kerala-farm-to-drink-clean-water/articleshow/19412974.cms

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve reels under drought

D. RADHAKRISHNAN
Unprecedented drought is keeping Forest Department officials on their toes in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near here.

Threatened by drought: A sambar in the extremely dry
Moyar part of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
near Udhagamandalam. -Photo: Special Arrangement

Enquiries made by The Hindu revealed that hitherto, only certain pockets would be affected during the dry months, but this year, practically the entire Reserve extending to over 321 square kilometres wears a parched look.

The situation has become a cause for concern to the Forest Department and environmentalists as the conditions could trigger an outbreak of bushfires. Migration of animals in search of water and fresh vegetation has begun.

Conservationist P.J.Vasanthan said that he was seeing the MTR in such a state for the first time.

Some of the animals he saw were conspicuously emaciated. Many from the Moyar part of the Reserve are coming to the Channel to quench their thirst which flows from Maravakandy to the Moyar Dam. Pointing out that sighting of wild animals in the area has become frequent, he regretted that unscrupulous tour operators were exploiting the situation. In the process, they are disturbing the animals. The prevailing weather conditions have made the surroundings extremely dry and leafless.

Since the situation in the Sigur and Gudalur forests adjoining the MTR was also equally bad, the human-wild animal conflict has escalated and instances of elephants damaging houses are being frequently reported.

Stating that earlier, only about five per cent of the total area were badly affected during the dry season, the Deputy Director, MTR

A.Ameer Haja lamented that this year, even perennial water sources have dried up.

In view of the prevailing situation, a plan of action to deal with any exigency has been put in place.

Officials, including 100 fire watchers, have been instructed to be in a state of alert round the clock. Since the fringe areas along the road which cuts through the reserve are highly vulnerable to bushfires, highway patrol has been intensified.

Five vehicles have been permanently stationed in the Theppakadu, Kargudi, Masinagudy, Mudumalai and Nellakotai ranges of the Reserve to enable the officials to respond quickly to emergencies.

Water tankers have also been stationed at convenient places. In addition to the fire fighting equipment in the MTR, special tools to control fires have been procured from Kerala. Fire lines have been extended. In February, four bushfires had broken out but all of them had been put out before they could cause much damage.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/mudumalai-tiger-reserve-reels-under-drought/article4520805.ece

A close encounter with wild elephants near Coonoor

D. RADHAKRISHNAN
Two wild elephants roaming close to the Coonoor-Marappalam stretch of the Metupalayam-Ooty National Highway for the past fortnight created a flutter at the Runneymede Station of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) on Thursday.

Railway sources told The Hindu that when the Mettupalayam-Ooty steam engine-hauled mountain train, with about 200 passengers including foreign tourists and students, stopped at Runneymede for filling water, the animals were spotted nearby. Unable to resist the photo opportunity and eager to get a closer look, many of them got out of the train. However, this angered the elephants which had started chasing the tourists.

Taken aback by the turn of events, the passengers and the railway staff ran helter-skelter. With the passengers bundling into the coaches the train hurriedly left the station. While they expressed the hope that the animals would be driven back to the forests before anything unfortunate happened, forest officials sought the cooperation of the people in dealing with the situation.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/a-close-encounter-with-wild-elephants-near-coonoor/article4486983.ece

Kovai Coutrallam to remain closed from today

The Forest Department has announced that Kovai Coutrallam waterfalls will remain out of bounds for tourists for a week or 10 days from March 6, in view of the road-laying works.

According to the forest department sources, the Engineering Wing of the Forest Department is laying road from the tribal hamlet after the check post till the parking lot, a little ahead of the waterfalls. In order to facilitate easy and smooth completion of the works, tourists will not be permitted for a week or 10 days.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/kovai-coutrallam-to-remain-closed-from-today/article4480562.ece

PILs against tourism in tiger reserves

Two public interest litigation petitions have been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here — one challenging a notification issued by the Centre on October 15, laying down guidelines for tourism activities around tiger reserves, and another to quash separate proceedings issued by the State Forest Department on February 18, permitting tourism-related activities at Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tirunelveli district.

SWASAM Trust, a non-governmental organisation represented by its managing trustee S. Ramesh, had filed both the petitions through its counsel T. Lajapathi Roy.

The trust claimed that permitting tourism-related activities in and around tiger reserves would defeat the object of ‘Project Tiger,’ a scheme implemented by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests since 1973 for ensuring a viable population of tiger in the country for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values.

Claiming that he was one among the members of a Local Advisory Committee for Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Mr. Ramesh said that the Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the Reserve had erred in issuing the February 18 notification permitting tourists to enjoy boating in Karaiyar Dam and drive their vehicles up to upper Kodayar area. He contended that both the activities would prove disastrous to the wildlife and ecosystem in the Reserve.

“Allowing vehicles inside the core area would affect breeding of tiger population.”

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/pils-against-tourism-in-tiger-reserves/article4477495.ece

Elephant Pongal at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve draws tourists

D.RADHAKRISHNAN | January 16, 2013

Most of the hotels in the region reported good occupancy during the Pongal holidays this year

Festival mood:Elephant Pongal being celebrated at
the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Tuesday

• Tourists, including a good number of foreigners flocked to scenic spots
• Local people made a beeline to various temples in the hill-station

With thousands of tourists thronging this holiday destination, thanks to the Pongal holidays, was celebrated with considerable enthusiasm notwithstanding the abnormally warm weather (that is, by local standards) during the day and the bitter chill experienced after dusk.

Tourists including a good number of foreigners flocked to scenic spots while the local people made a beeline to various temples.

Speaking to The Hindu , V.Ramsundar, Assistant Director of Horticulture, said that from Friday itself the number of tourists visiting the Government Botanical Garden (GBG) had been steadily rising.

Tourists

While it was 3,270 on January 11, it had gone up to 6,800 the following day. On January 13 it was 7,900 and on Pongal day 9,600. On Tuesday the total number of visitors was about 10,000 according to sources here.

The Secretary, Nilgiri Hotels and Restaurants Association (NHRA), N.Chandra- shekar, said that most of the hotels had reported good occupancy during the Pongal weekend.

At the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near here many tourists celebrated Elephant Pongal on Tuesday. About 22 camp elephants participated. A few of them performed puja at the local temple.

A special puja was also performed for Ranga, an abandoned elephant calf which has been ailing for the past few weeks.

The Deputy Director, MTR, A.Ameer Haja, served Pongal to the visitors.

Interacting with them, he explained the significance of the occasion.

The tourists were informed that they were lucky to celebrate Pongal at one of the best known wildlife reserves in the country.

Along with their regular food, pongal, jaggery and sugarcane were served by Mr.Haja and some tourists to the pachyderms.

The curtain will be brought down on the Pongal celebrations on Wednesday with a Tourist Pongal Festival at the Boat House here.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/elephant-pongal-at-mudumalai-tiger-reserve-draws-tourists/article4311341.ece