Human-wildlife conflict in Keralam: ordrer for removal of encroachments in catchment areas of Anayirankal dam

The catchment areas of Anayirankal dam reservoir near Munnar in Idukki.

Even as human-wildlife conflict continues to claim lives in Chinnakkanal under the Devikulam forest range, the Idukki district administration has moved ahead with clearing encroachments on government land.

The District Collector issued an order on November 7 under the Disaster Management Act directing the immediate removal of encroachments and unauthorised constructions in the catchment areas of the Anayirankal dam. Officials said the catchment area serves as a primary habitat for wild elephants in the Devikulam range.

To carry out the eviction drive, the Collector has formed a special team comprising the Devikulam Subcollector representing the Revenue department, the Munnar divisional forest officer (DFO), and the executive engineer of the dam safety wing of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), in Pambla.

According to the order, wild elephant attacks have killed 82 people and injured 486 others since 2015 in Idukki district. On September 23, an elephant killed a tribal man at the Panthadikkalam tribal settlement near Chinnakkanal. Following the incident, residents protested with the victim’s body, demanding the removal of unauthorised fences blocking elephant corridors. Acting on their demand, the Collector ordered the removal of the fences to restore natural passages. The order noted that no elephant attacks have been reported in that specific area since.

The order further stated that an inspection by a special investigation team revealed large-scale encroachment, farming and fencing within the full reservoir level area of the Anayirankal dam. A team led by Land Revenue Commissioner H. Dineshan, amicus curiae Harish Vasudevan and the District Collector confirmed the encroachments during a site visit.

The buffer zone extends 10 chains from the dam’s full reservoir level, encompassing roughly 611.44 hectares of land under KSEB posession. The KSEB executive engineer reported at least 96 encroachments in the catchment area, though a comprehensive survey is still pending.

The Collector ordered that all encroachments — including buildings, conventional fences, solar fencing and agricultural plots — be cleared immediately. Respective government departments will be held responsible for clearing encroachments on land under their jurisdiction.

The Devikulam Subcollector has been tasked with supervising the operation and submitting progress reports to the Collector every two days. The KSEB engineer has been directed to dismantle unauthorised fences and disconnect power lines, water pumps and irrigation hoses on the encroached reservoir land.

Additionally, the district police chief has been instructed to provide adequate security during the drive. The Collector also directed the Deputy Collector for land revenue to submit a comprehensive report on the operation and instructed departments to geo-tag the recovered plots to prevent future encroachment.

An earlier order by the Collector to clear fences across elephant corridors in Chinnakkanal drew criticism from farmers’ groups and political parties. However, officials maintain that encroaching on government land and erecting fences have directly contributed to the surge in fatal elephant attacks. Local tribal communities in Chinnakkanal have reiterated their demand for immediate evictions and the restoration of elephant passages.