COIMBATORE: Villagers of Masinagudi, Srimadurai and Nelakottai took strong exception to the government move to declare these areas as buffer zones of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, at a public hearing in Ooty on Thursday.
However, several NGOs urged the committee to implement the buffer zone in the larger interest of wild animals and for the protection of the Nilgiris ecology
An expert committee, headed by chief wildlife warden R Sundarrajan, held a meeting to elicit public views on the buffer zone at the office of the HADP . Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary was declared Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in 2007. Since then, the authorities have been taking several measures to improve the tiger and elephant population there. As part of the measures, the government had planned to include Masinagudi, Sri Madurai and Nelakottai as buffer zones for the development of the reserve. However, the government instructed the wildlife wing to first get the views of villagers on the same, following which the committee invited the public to get their views.The public as well as resort owners near the reserve responded by strongly opposing the buffer zones.