Officials visit Anayirankal Dam catchment and 301 Colony at Chinnakkanal hit by encroachment

High level team inspecting Chinnakkanal area on Saturday | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Temporary shelters constructed in Anayirankal dam basin near Chinnakkanal | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A high-level official team led by Land Revenue Commissioner H Dineshan, Idukki District Collector Dineshan Cheruvat and Devikulam Sub-Collector VM Arya on Saturday inspected the encroachment-hit Anayirankal Dam and Colony 301 in Chinnakkanal. The inspection follows a recent report submitted by the forest department to the revenue department, which cited widespread encroachment on government land in Colony 301 and the Anayirankal basin.

According to officials, the Devikulam Range Officer had earlier submitted a report stating that a Rajakumari resident had encroached on two hectares of land in the dam basin. The attacker reportedly erected fences, set up tents and set up tree houses, bathrooms and other temporary shelters to host tourists overnight. In addition, an illegal tourist route operated between the catchment area and Colony 301 – a regular site frequented by a herd of 17 wild elephants. Officials pointed out that the unauthorized construction was blocking vital passages for elephants leading to the dam.

The constable’s letter also highlighted that night partying and accommodation of tourists along the wildlife trails pose a serious security risk. “This area is a regular habitat and movement corridor for wild elephants,” the letter warned, adding that commercial activities here could trigger large human-wildlife encounters at any time.

“The land comes under the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), which pays land tax to the Chinnakkanal Municipal Authority, and no private person has ownership rights over it. All illegal structures and tree huts in the catchment area must be dismantled,” the letter said.

Eviction proceedings soon

Finance officials confirmed that eviction proceedings against the encroachers would begin soon. Sources noted that indigenous people have also linked the fences and blocked corridors directly to the increasing number of deadly human-elephant conflicts in Chinnakkanal.

“Anayirankal dam basin is a prime location for elephants,” said a forest official. “Tourist activities, illegal farming and solar fencing disrupt their movement, leading to recurring conflicts. Until these encroachments are evicted, the problem cannot be solved.”

Officials added that outsiders are taking land from tribal families in Colony 301 on lease to run unauthorized cardamom plantations. During Saturday’s inspection, local residents formally complained to the visiting officials about the encroachment of strangers on their land and demanded immediate eviction.

Murukeshan, a resident of Panthadikkalam tribal settlement and a member of the collector’s committee studying the problems in Chinnakkanal, noted that the encroachers had erected solar fences and iron barricades across the active elephant corridors. He urged the district administration to immediately remove all illegal encroachments in the entire county.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 20:21 IST