Gudalur turns Mt Garbage, poses huge threat to wildlife

CHENNAI: The mountain of garbage in the reserve forests of Gudalur in the Nilgiris is growing higher by the day, increasing the lines of worry on the faces of foresters.
"Most of these dump yards are in the path of migrating elephant herds and a spot close to the Silver Clouds area is the newest one," said a senior forest official. A recent photo that shows two adult elephants feeding on garbage here has gone viral on social media."Even sambar and many monkey species too feed here," the official said.
With the monsoon fast approaching, the illegal dumping is set to become a health hazard for wildlife. A lawyer recently obtained an order from the National Green Tribunal against dumping and forest officials are doing everything that can to prevent it but the practice continues.
"The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased but neither the revenue authorities nor the village panchayats responsible for the dumping have realised the magnitude of the problem," said Sadiq Ali, founder of Udhagamandalam-based Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust.
Foresters blamed revenue officials and police, who fail to check the movement of vehicles carrying waste generated in and around Gudalur.
Another official said trucks from neighbouring Kerala also dumped waste here, compounding the problem. The information had been passed on to revenue and police officers but no trucks dumping garbage have been detained, he said.
"After repeated protests from wildlife enthusiasts and residents, the district administration had finally agreed to fence the dump yards and entrusted this to the forest department," said Ali.
"But this is not enough," said the official. "While encroachments from Janmam lands are yet to be been cleared from the Gudalur area as per the orders of the Madras High Court, the dumping of garbage threatens the very existence of wildlife," he said