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The Madras High Court has upheld the prohibition on commercial ventures such as resorts and hotels within the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor in the Nilgiris. It supported the findings of a Supreme Court-appointed inquiry committee, allowing landowners to pursue eco-friendly agriculture while preventing barriers that obstruct elephant movement. The court directed the state to classify adjoining revenue lands as reserved forests and to initiate the acquisition of private lands within the corridor with compensation, starting within six months, aiming to protect elephant migration paths while safeguarding property rights.
The Madras High Court has ruled that no commercial establishments, including hotels and resorts, will be permitted within the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor in the Nilgiris, while endorsing the recommendations of an inquiry committee constituted by the Supreme Court. The court stated that landowners could continue eco-friendly agricultural activities as long as these did not disrupt elephant movement or involve the construction of artificial barriers such as electrical or solar fences. Advertisement
A division bench comprising Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy upheld all the committee's findings except the suggestion to hand over private properties to the government without acquisition. The bench instructed the Tamil Nadu government to declare all revenue lands adjoining the corridor, sanctuary and buffer zones-especially those near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve-as reserved forests under the TN Forest Act and transfer their administration to the forest department.
The court further directed the state to acquire private lands located within the corridor in a phased manner, offering compensation, and to begin this process within six months. It also stressed the need for formal notification of the elephant corridor, remarking that without official recognition, the removal of existing barbed wires and electric fences would restrict landowners from using their lands even for non-commercial purposes.
While landowners retain the right to engage in non-disruptive farming, the judgment curtails developments that could interfere with elephant movement. By calling for formal corridor notification, buffer zone declaration, and compensated land acquisition, the court has sought to balance environmental protection with private ownership rights, directing the government to prioritise ecological preservation alongside fair treatment of landholders.
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