The residents of Muthalamada panchayat in Palakkad are up in arms against the High Court’s direction to shift a wild tusker, Arikomban, to the Parambikulam forests. In response to the Court’s decision, a hartal is to be observed in the panchayat on Tuesday.
According to reports, the decisions were made during separate meetings organised by K Babu MLA and the panchayat authorities. The locals are planning to approach the High Court against the shifting of Arikomban. A meeting of lawyers in the Nenmara assembly constituency will be convened to discuss the matter further.
Protests will be intensified across Muthalamada, Kollengode, Elavancherry, Nenmara, Ayiloor, and Nelliampathi panchayats. These local bodies will adopt resolutions against shifting the tusker to Parambikulam. A protest meeting under an all-party collective will be staged at Kambrathuchalla in Muthalamada panchayat on Monday.
The administrative council of the Muthalamada panchayat, on its part, also convened an all-party meeting and decided to initiate legal action separately. Protest meetings will be organised at Parambikulam on Monday and at Kambrathuchalla on February 13.
‘The forest department should not shift the tusker here. It will be an environmental disaster,’ said K Babu, the MLA representing the area. He further added that the tusker could have a severe impact on the crops in the area.
However, the forest department is likely to conduct the trial run for shifting Arikomban to Parambikkulam soon. The elephant has been directed to be released in the Muthuvarachal region within the Oru Komban forest range inside the Parambikkulam Tiger Reserve. This location lies close to the forests of Chalakkudy and Nelliyampathy and can be accessed either through Chalakkudy or via Kariyarkutty in Parambikkulam.
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