Exclusive corridors for elephants in different parts of Tamil Nadu

Elephants will have their way in Tamil Nadu - quite literally, with the state government planning Elephant Corridors in different parts of the state to give them a safe transit route and prevent the pachyderm from straying into human habitat.
Forest Minister N Selvaraj told the State Assembly here today that 315 acres of land was being acquired for this purpose, the funds for which had been allotted last year.

"Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had allotted Rs 2.68 crore for this purpose. The main focus will be to ensure there are no encroachments on the transit route of elephants, for they travel on a particular pattern," he said without naming the areas coming under the Elephant Corridor.

"The elephants move in herds and on a particular trajectory and when this is disturbed (by way of encroachments or other man-made detours) they stray into unknown zones and end up entering human habitats, affecting local residents," he said.

Nearly 4000 of India's estimated 24,000 elephant population is in Tamil Nadu.

Solar-powered fencing was also being done in areas prone to elephant attacks in the state, he said adding pits were also being dug as the "wise mammals" destroyed the fence using dry tree branches.

He was responding to Individual member T Ramachandran, who sought to know if the government would set up elephant sanctuaries in Pettamugilalam forest area in Thally.

Instances of elephants straying into human habitats have been on the rise in the state of late, with three adult elephants, one of them a pregnant mammal, being crushed to death by a train near Coimbatore in February.