Save the Elephant Habitat in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve(please Do Not Post as ANONYMOUS

In the Nilgiris Eastern Ghat Elephant Reserve, part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and proposed Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary, a railway line would pass through 58 km of dense forest area requiring 30 meters on either side from the centerline of the track all along the length of the proposed railway line in forest area for about 58 km. That includes approach road to track space for collection of ballast and for any emergency recoupment of materials near the track passing through erstwhile Veerappan territories like Talawadi, Gattawadi and bannari. On completion, the railway line would have 277 bridges, 138 curves and 61 tunnels. Imagine about the men and machinery that will move into this elephant habitat once the construction works get started (even the survey work requires `felling of trees of spontaneous growth in meager level wherever is necessary).

In the Nilgiris Eastern Ghat Elephant Reserve, part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and proposed Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary, a railway line would pass through 58 km of dense forest area requiring 30 meters on either side from the centerline of the track all along the length of the proposed railway line in forest area for about 58 km. That includes approach road to track space for collection of ballast and for any emergency recoupment of materials near the track passing through erstwhile Veerappan territories like Talawadi, Gattawadi and bannari. On completion, the railway line would have 277 bridges, 138 curves and 61 tunnels. Imagine about the men and machinery that will move into this elephant habitat once the construction works get started (even the survey work requires `felling of trees of spontaneous growth in meager level wherever is necessary).

MoEF;secymenf@nic.in,MoIR;msrn@rb.railnet.gov.in

We place before your ministry a humble request to call off the proposed RAILWAY LINE between Chamarajanagar to Sathyamangalam, cutting across the Nilgiris Eastern Ghat Elephant Reserve, part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and proposed Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary. As the government is aware of the facts, about the importance of this area, beaming with natural wealth of fauna and flora that are endemic to this region. All the more this railway line cuts across the vital elephant migratory path from Mayor plateau to Attapadi and Silent Valley this corridor is already disturbed by the roads, hoardings, fencings and other human interventions. This disturbance is very evident in the recent months with the Elephants straying into unheard of places and damaging crops and being threat to human lives to the extant the Coimbatore PCC Mr. Thyagi had pressed in the service of Kumki (trained elephants) to beat the retreat of these elephant herds, back to where the threat to human interest is not at stake, the long term adverse impact of this proposed rail line will be unimaginable, with repeated aggression like this can be heard more so in the future - if the proposed railway lines comes up. Eventually one day the elephant stock in this vicinity will vanish. In the demographic convergence of Western and Eastern Ghats it is important for us to isolate this forest from any human activities, as it is heaven to many endangered species as well, like the black buck, vultures, Indian giant squirrel to name few. Apart from the man animal conflict the advents of this rail line will open up the forest of spurious wholes to poaching logging - there by the entire ecosystem going haywire. Hence we urge the government to call of this railway line for the greater common good. On the one side we hear efforts taken by the government to conserve the wildlife vis in EDAYURVAYAL more than 50 people have been moved to alternative settlements to facilitate a six-km elephant corridor connecting Kerala's Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Brahmagiri reserve in neighboring Karnataka. It is assuring that the government will come out in favour of the last few remaining habitats of these humble beings.

Thanking you.