Animals and Nature Ethics Community Trust (ANEC), a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Kochi, has sought immediate action from senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Kerala Forest Department and disaster management authorities in the area where they claim there is immediate action in the Kottiyur-Periya elephant corridor in Wayanad, a critical corridor for elephants and elephants.
An NGO claims that a commercial development being carried out under the name of ‘Komachi Park’ at Boys Town in North Wayanad is blocking the corridor, a vital ecological passage connecting the forest ranges of Wayanad and Kannur districts. The site, located near the Palchuram Ghat road crossing along the Kannur-Wayanad border, lies within 750 meters of the Kottiyoor wildlife sanctuary boundary and falls under a notified ecological zone (ESZ), the petition said.
It said the project included several tourism and recreational facilities, including an attraction, a swimming pool, an aviary for exotic birds, private villas, a resort and banquet facilities. ANEC claimed that the complex was located at the narrowest throat of the elephant corridor, measuring less than 50 meters in width, which it described as the only viable passage for elephant movement between adjacent forest blocks.
In addition, the petition identified the site near the Ambayathode stream, a tributary of the Valapattanam river, and noted that the structure is located on the steep western slopes of the Western Ghats at an altitude of about 2,400 feet above sea level. Citing disaster management standards, ANEC warned that large-scale development in the area could escalate landslide risks and exacerbate human-elephant conflicts.
ANEC referred to a communication issued by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) in December 2025, which had forwarded earlier complaints on the issue to the District Collectors of Wayanad and Kannur for urgent investigation. However, she claimed authorities have yet to act despite it being a matter of public safety. The letter cited the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, the Nature Conservation (Protection) Act 1972 and constitutional obligations under Articles 48A and 51A(a). g) and also Supreme Court guidelines prohibiting construction in notified and functional elephant corridors.
In a bid for urgent action, ANEC called for an immediate halt to construction, an inspection of the site, a review of measures to restore the corridor and a report on the measures taken within a month.
Published – 30 Jan 2026 20:26 IST
