Nine elephant corridors identified in Karnataka: Centre

The Centre on Thursday informed the Parliament that Karnataka has identified nine elephant corridors in the state.

"As per the information received from the Karnataka, nine Elephant Corridors have been identified in the state. The state has secured the Edayahalli Doddasampige Elephant Corridor, by purchasing 25.37 acres of private land in 2017, and Chamarajanagara–Talamali at Muddahalli Elephant Corridor, by purchasing 16.30 acres of private land in 2021-22," Union Minister of State for the Environment and Forests Ashwini Kumar Choubey said.

As per the information received from Karnataka, no compensation has been paid to people by the government in securing elephant corridors, the minister said, in his written reply to Congress Rajya Sabha member G C Chandrashekhar's question.

Following are the elephant corridors: Karadikkal-Madeshwara (also known as Ragihalli corridor), Tali-Bilikkan (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), Bilikkal-Javalagiri (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), Edayahallil-Guttiyalattur (Tamil Nadu-Karnataka), Edayahalli-Doddasampige, Chamarajanagar-Talamalai at Punjur (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu), Chamarajanagar-Talamalai at Muddahalli (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), Kaniyanpura-Moyar (Karnataka) and Beguru-Brammangiri (Karnataka and Kerala).

To another question by BJP Rajya Sabha member K Narayana, the minister said there are no reports in the Ministry indicating an increase in the human-animal conflict involving wild animals, viz, tigers, elephants and leopards in Karnataka.

The minister said the Union Environment and Forest Ministry has issued advisories to all states for better management of situations arising out of human-wildlife conflict. The advisories recommend various measures that may be adopted by the states to prevent and manage such conflicts. These include habitat improvement measures, making fodder and water available to animals inside forests, coordinated interdepartmental action, identification of conflict hot spots and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures.