In a significant development, an elephant corridor at Ediyarahalli-Doddasampige in Chamarajanagar district has been secured to help safe and easy movement of jumbos and other wildlife in the region. The corridor is a major link from the Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple reserve to the MM Hills habitat.
This was an ongoing effort by the forest department to reduce instances of human-elephant conflict in the state as such corridors pass through human settlements and agricultural lands. According to forest officials, the Ediyarahalli-Doddasampige corridor was possible due to joint efforts by NGOs, volunteers, researchers and farmers who provided land.
Now, road humps and signboards have been added to the 2 km stretch. MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary Deputy Conservator of Forests V Yedukondalu said, “We have added 500 metres to this narrow stretch and also built humps at five places. This will ease the movement of elephants.” Under the Right of Passage - National Elephant Corridors Project — the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) had secured the Edayarhalli-Doddasampige corridor and had later handed it over to the forest department
. It took nearly two years for the WTI to purchase 25 acres of land from farmers and extend the corridor by 500 metres. Presently, talks are on to extend the corridor by 600- 700 metres and for this, 50 acres of land needs to be acquired from farmers. “The JSW Group has come forward to purchase this land. If this land is added, the corridor will be permanently secured,” added the DCF.