Lok Sabha Question No. 1494 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Construction inside the Sigur Elephant Corridor in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Matheswaran V S

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1494

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## Construction inside the Sigur Elephant Corridor in Tamil Nadu

1494. SHRI MATHESWARAN V S:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is fact that there  were over 800 constructions, including 39 resorts and 390 houses, inside the Sigur Elephant Corridor in  Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the reasons behind the encroachers have not evicted by the Government despite findings of Sigur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee and upheld by Madras High Court in September 2025 along with the reasons for no interim order has been passed by Supreme Court till date; and
- (c) the number of persons killed by elephants in the Nilgiri district since 2014 to till date?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) As per the information received from the State of Tamil Nadu, the detailed plan of action report comprising the construction in the Elephant corridor area have been submitted by the District collector, Nilgiris, before the Hon'ble Supreme court of India for WP NO. 897 of 1996.

The details of the buildings based on the District collector's plan of action report, are as follows:-

| Sl.No.   | Nature of the Constructions                                            | Total no of Constructions   |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1        | Resort complex with restaurant and Total no of buildings within resort | 309**                       |
| 2        | Houses                                                                 | 390                         |
| 3        | Other common building                                                  | 27                          |
| 4        | No. of Estates / Plantations                                           | 09                          |
| 5        | No. of Cultivation fields                                              | 77                          |
| 6        | Other Constructions                                                    | 09                          |
|          | Total                                                                  | 821                         |

- (b) As per the information received from the State of Tamil Nadu, as per the order of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in WP (S) Civil Nos 897 of 1996 on dated 9.8.2018, 38 numbers of resorts were locked and sealed by district administration in the corridor area.

Further, the Hon'ble High Court of Madras, judgment in W.P. No. 26182 of 2023 dated 12.09.2025, directed to initiate the acquisition procedure within six months and the preliminary steps such as survey are being undertaken by the District Administration in this regard.

Multiple Special Leave Petition (SLP- Civil) have been filed in the supreme court challenging the above-said order. The following are the various SLP (C) which were filed before Hon'ble Supreme court:

- I. Main SLP (C) No. 32019 of 2025,
- II. SLP (C) No. 36421 / 2025,
- III. SLP (C) No. 716-717 / 2026,
- IV. SLP (C) Diary No. 61702 / 2025
- V. SLP (C) Diary No. 58875 / 2025
- VI. SLP (C) Diary No. 60495 / 2025
- VII. SLP (C) Diary No. 61046 / 2025
- VIII. SLP (C) Diary No. 231 / 2025

Further, vide daily order of main SLP (C) 32019 of 2025, dated:08/12/2025, it has been directed to list the  connected  SLPs  to  be  placed  before  the  Forest  Bench  i.e.  W.P.  (C)  No.  202  of  1995  [T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India].

Additionally, there are three cases related with resorts (108- 109 of 2021 & 1 of 2025) that are yet to be examined by the Inquiry Committee appointed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in connection with the elephant corridor matter (C.A. Nos. 3438/3439-2020 arising out of SLP Nos. 17319-17314/2011). Therefore, the matter is under litigation.

(c) As per the information received from the State of Tamil Nadu, totally 112 numbers of human causalities occurred due to Human Elephant Conflict in the Nilgiris District from 2014 to till date.

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