All resorts in notified Sigur plateau elephant corridor directed to be dismantled

Conservationists welcome orders to dismantle 12 resorts in Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor, ensuring protection of crucial corridor connecting Eastern and Western Ghats. District administration to initiate action against resort owners, with owners given reprieve to dismantle buildings and transport materials out of their properties. A total of 176 orders have been passed by committee, with the remaining orders expected to be issued in the coming weeks.

The Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee has passed orders directing that all 12 resorts in the notified elephant corridor that had raised objections to being shutdown be dismantled, and fences around the properties be removed.

Conservationists have welcomed the orders, stating that the sealing of the resorts is the first step towards ensuring the protection of the crucial elephant corridor connecting the Eastern and Western Ghats.

With the latest orders being passed, all 39 of the illegal resorts that were functioning in the Sigur plateau will be closed down, with a direction to demolish the buildings also.

After the Supreme Court’s verdict, upholding the validity of the notification of the elephant corridor in 2018, 27 of the resorts, which were not represented before the court were ordered to be closed down, while 12 of the remaining resorts were granted time to produce documents showing valid documents and titles for running the resorts.

The committee noted that the resorts – Jungle Hut, De Rock, Rolling Stones, Forest Hills Farm and Guest House as well as Jungle Retreat and Gordon Jungle Properties - had in total 74 buildings on their premises. This showed that it was “amply evident that these are not small bona fide residential buildings but big commercial constructions without all requisite approvals,” the committee had observed.

The committee went onto direct the district administration to initiate “necessary action” against the resort owners, with the owners being given the reprieve of dismantling the buildings by themselves and transport all the materials out of the property.