To avert a Wayanad in Idukki

The people of Bison Valley at the foothills of Chokramudi hills are protesting against construction activities carried out by land buyers on these ecologically sensitive slopes, home to the endangered Neelakurinji and the Nilgiri tahr. A government-appointed SIT has uncovered widespread land grab, allegedly facilitated by some officials of the Revenue department. While the government awaits a review of land records,  it has promised action against the encroachers, Sandeep Vellaram reports

Chelladurai, 58, stood by the roadside along the Gap Road-Bison Valley stretch, near Munnar, in Kerala’s Idukki district, a look of deep concern etched on his weather-beaten face.  

“My ancestors were Tamils who settled in the valley of Chokramudi hills. We have lived here for three generations. But now, we live in constant fear, as the threat of illegal constructions on the hills looms. We worry about landslides, like the ones that devastated Meppadi in Wayanad,” says Chelladurai, a native of the Bison Valley village at the foothills of the Chokramudi hills. Like most others in the village, he is a settler farmer dependent on the hills — which, at over 7,000 ft above sea level, is among the tallest in Idukki — for water for irrigation. They cultivate cardamom and pepper. 

Bison Valley panchayat has a population of about 13,800 people living in its 13 wards. But the people are alarmed now. They recently discovered construction activities under way in the upper reaches of the hills. A group of concerned villagers visited the site and were shocked to find roads and check-dams being built, with trees felled across the area. These serene and ecologically fragile hills, once a quiet haven, were on its way to becoming a bustling tourism hub. 

The villagers quickly mobilised and formed the Chokramudi Protection Council, a local action group to defend the hills, in the second week of August.  “The people of Bison Valley understand that without Chokramudi hills, life in the valley will be impossible. We’ve filed complaints against land grabs on the hill and reached out to the media to amplify our voice. This movement will continue until we find a lasting solution for the protection of the hills,” says Subash Chandran, a member of the action council. The movement, he stresses, has no political backing.  

The 2.5-km Gap Road section of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway cuts across the Chokramudi hills. According to Forest department officials, protection of the hills’ upper area was assigned to the department in 2010, while the lower region came under the jurisdiction of the State Revenue department. “Large-scale encroachments have taken place on revenue land,” says a forest official, refusing to identify himself. 

“The Chokramudi hills are shrouded in mist year-round, and several small streams flow from the hills, serving as the only source of water for hundreds of families in the valley. If a landslip happens, the entire valley will be wiped out in minutes,” laments Chelladurai. Shabu Valiakunnath, another Bison Valley resident, recalls his shock at discovering the construction activities. Four wards of Bison Valley panchayat are right below the hills, which are covered mostly with small rocks and grasslands. This is what makes these hills a vital source of water for us. These constructions will deprive us of water,” he says, echoing the fears of many in the valley.

M.J. Babu, who has authored books on the Munnar hill station, argues that there’s a deep cultural link between the Chokramudi hills and the Muthuvan tribe. The panchayat has a Muthuvan population of around 500. “Chokkan in tribal lingo refers to Lord Siva, and Chokramudi, therefore, is Siva’s peak. The Muthuvan community holds the Chokramudi hills sacred and still uses the area for their traditional rituals,” Babu explains.  

M.N. Jayachandran, environmental activist, thinks that the only way to protect the hills is to declare the area a sanctuary. “This is where the famous purple flower Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) blooms en masse. Sanctuary declaration is the only means to ensure that these hills aren’t ravaged. The Forest department can promote ecotourism without harming the environment, which will both raise public awareness and provide an income source for the local tribes,” he suggests.

In the wake of a huge public outcry, the government formed a special investigation team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police K. Sethuraman. Its 12-page report points to a group of encroachers’ involvement in destroying the hills. The report details the illegal methods adopted by alleged grabbers to amass land in the red zone. It says some revenue officials colluded with the encroachers to facilitate land grabs. “Our report is with the government. The Idukki District Collector will now inspect the Chokramudi hills and take appropriate action,” says Sethuraman, IGP, North Zone. 

The SIT report cites the use of fake title deeds to acquire large tracts of land on the ecologically fragile hills. “The Chokramudi hills are unsuitable for farming or construction activities. Yet, widespread destruction of trees and Neelakurinji plants has occurred. Revenue officials colluded with the encroachers to transfer government-owned land to private hands. Criminal cases should be filed against both the encroachers and the officials involved, and the government must reclaim the encroached land,” recommends the report. 

The SIT also stresses that the hills are home to wild elephants and the Nilgiri tahr, the only wild goat species in southern India. “Human interference in these areas will destroy the natural habitat of these animals,” it warns.  

V. Sunil Kumar, a geologist at the Mining and Geology department in Idukki, says a team from the department inspected the area and found the terrain unfit for human habitation or development. “These hills, stretching along some 2.5 km, are filled with rocks, and any construction activity will trigger a landslide similar to the ones at Mundakkai in Wayanad earlier this year. We saw roads built over streams that would be washed away in heavy rain,” he warns.  

A report submitted by the Geology department recommended that the State Disaster Management Authority’s Landslide Advisory Committee inspect the area at the earliest.  

The Kerala High Court has also stepped in to address the issue. On September 13, a Division Bench directed the Idukki District Collector to ensure that no unauthorised construction or demolition takes place on the Chokramudi hills. The directive was in response to a writ petition filed by One Earth One Life, an NGO seeking the eviction of encroachers from government land in Munnar and other parts of Idukki district.  

Jomy Augustine, Professor of Botany at Mahatma Gandhi University and an expert on Neelakurinji, says that while parts of the western slopes of the Chokramudi hills have been planted with eucalyptus in the last century, most of the hills remain in its natural state. “Since the 1990s, I’ve regularly visited these hills, and they are among the few areas where the largest population of Neelakurinji can be found outside protected areas. The last mass blooming occurred in 2014, and the next is expected in 2026,” says Dr. Augustine. 

He adds that the hills’ unique terrain, which the British planters overlooked, allowed for the continued growth of not only Neelakurinji but also a wide range of endemic and threatened wild plants, including balsams and orchids. “The region hosts ten species of Strobilanthes, including the famous Neelakurinji, as well as rare balsam species such as Impatiens parasitica and Impatiens matthewana, which are found exclusively on the Chokramudi hills. The area is a treasure trove for plant taxonomists and holds the potential for the discovery of new species,” he says. 

While the Revenue department is under scrutiny for its alleged collusion in the land deals, a mid-level official says that over 60 land sale deeds related to Chokramudi have been registered at the Subregistrar’s office in Adimaly over the past year. 

As the issue gained political traction, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala visited the hills and wrote to the Chief Minister, urging his intervention to evict encroachers. He also accused local Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders of being complicit in the encroachments. The Revenue department in Kerala is headed by the CPI. 

K. Salimkumar, CPI Idukki district secretary, dismissed the allegations, stating that both the party and the government are committed to evicting all encroachers and holding them accountable. Revenue Minister K. Rajan assured strict action against the land grabbers. “The SIT has submitted its report to the government. The District Collector has filed a preliminary report and requested time to verify the land records. The government will act based on these reports,” he said.  

Meanwhile, Kaippanplackal Siby, a resident of Adimaly, some 25 km from Bison Valley, who purchased land on the Chokramudi hills, insists that his purchase followed due process. “I bought the land a year ago after completing all necessary verifications through the Bison Valley village office and taluk office. No investigative agency has contacted me regarding the land documents,” he says.

While a legal battle seems imminent, Baiju Balakrishnan, a resident of Bison Valley, gazes at the Chokramudi hills and remarks that the weather in the area resembles that of Kashmir year-round. “Look at the majestic hills. Our survival is entirely dependent on theirs. The sole aim of the Chokramudi Protection Council is to remove all encroachers and protect these hills. We are united in this cause and will not rest until we ensure their preservation,” he says. 

Published - September 19, 2024 08:56 pm IST