Human-wildlife conflict in Kerala: order to remove encroachments in Anayirankal dam catchment
The catchment area of the Anayirankal dam reservoir near Munnar in Idukki. | Photo credit: Sandeep Vellaram
Even as the human-wildlife conflict still claimed lives in Chinnakkanal under the Devikulam forest range, the Idukki district administration has made progress in clearing encroachments on government land.
The District Collector issued an order under the Disaster Management Act on November 7, ordering the immediate removal of encroachments and unauthorized constructions in the catchment areas of the Anayirankal dam. Officials said the watershed serves as a primary habitat for wild elephants in the Devikulam area.
To carry out the clearance, the Collector formed a special team comprising the Devikulam Subcollector representing the Revenue Department, the Munnar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and the Executive Engineer of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) Dam Safety Wing at Pambla.
Elephant attacks
According to the order, wild elephant attacks have killed 82 people and injured 486 others in Idukki district since 2015. On September 23, an elephant killed a tribal man in the Panthadikkalam tribal settlement near Chinnakkanal. After the incident, residents protested with the victim’s body and demanded the removal of unauthorized fences blocking elephant corridors. At their request, the Collector ordered the removal of fences to restore natural passages. The order noted that since then, no elephant attacks have been reported in that particular area.
The order further stated that the inspection conducted by the Special Investigation Team revealed extensive encroachment, farming and fencing in the entire reservoir level area of the Anayirankal dam. A team led by Land Revenue Commissioner H Dineshan, amicus curiae Harish Vasudevan and District Collector confirmed the raids during a site visit.
The buffer zone extends in 10 chains from the entire dam level and includes roughly 611.44 hectares of land held by KSEB. The KSEB Executive Engineer has reported at least 96 encroachments in the watershed, though a comprehensive survey is still pending.
The collector ordered that all encroachments — including buildings, conventional fences, solar fencing and agricultural land — be removed immediately. Relevant government departments will be responsible for removing encroachments on lands under their jurisdiction.
The Devikulam Subcollector was given the task of supervising the operation and reporting the progress to the Collector every two days. The KSEB engineer was directed to dismantle unauthorized fences and disconnect power lines, water pumps and irrigation hoses on the encroached tank land.
The District Superintendent of Police has also been instructed to ensure adequate security during the drive. The Collector also directed the Deputy Collector of Land Revenue to submit a comprehensive report on the operation and instructed the department to geo-tag the resumed lands to prevent future encroachment.
Previous order
The Collector’s earlier order to clear the fences across the elephant corridors in Chinnakkanal had drawn criticism from farmers’ groups and political parties. But officials say encroachment on government land and the construction of fences has directly contributed to the rise in fatal elephant attacks. Local tribal communities in Chinnakkanal reiterated their demand for immediate eviction and restoration of elephant corridors.
Published – 9 Nov 2026 20:39 IST