Authorities have shut 13 resorts operating without required approvals in the Anaikatti forest area of Coimbatore, while final action is under way against 12 more properties, according to a report filed by Coimbatore Collector Pavan Kumar in the Madras High Court.
The action follows a petition by social activist Muralidharan, who alleged that resorts were being operated illegally in dense forest areas and along an elephant movement route in Survey areas covering No. 24 Veerapandi and Nanjundapuram panchayats. The High Court had directed the district administration to conduct a field inspection and take action based on the findings.
An initial district report identified 10 resorts in the area. Of these, two were reported to have permissions, while eight were operating without approval. The court directed that properties without permission be closed immediately and instructed officials to verify the documents of establishments claiming to have approvals.
After the petitioner submitted a further affidavit listing 33 locations, the court ordered an inspection of those sites as well. A joint team comprising officials from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, the Rural Development Department, the Revenue Department and the Forest Department examined all 33 locations and checked the available records.
The Collector’s report said 13 resorts had been closed by their owners after officials found that they lacked approvals from the planning department, the village panchayat or the Forest Department, including no-objection certification where required. Final steps to close 12 additional resorts are under way.
The report identified Darsa Resorts, My Village Eco Tourist Resort and Wild Door Cafe as operating with permissions. It also said that five of the inspected locations were residences rather than resorts. The classification and approval status of these properties remain part of the wider examination ordered by the court.
Officials have also issued a notice to the Ara Jungle Resort complex in Karamadai after finding additional buildings that did not match its approved plan. SR Jungle Resort has applied for building approval and separately approached the court seeking directions for the planning department to decide its application within eight weeks. The Collector said a closure notice had nevertheless been issued against the establishment.
The inspection has brought the regulation of tourism and construction in ecologically sensitive areas under judicial scrutiny. The case involves not only whether individual resorts possess local approvals, but also whether buildings, access arrangements and boundary structures are compatible with the movement of wildlife through the landscape.
Muralidharan has sought the removal of permanent fencing at the 13 closed resorts and the five locations classified as residences, arguing that the area must remain accessible to wild animals. He has also sought disconnection of electricity supplies to the closed resorts. He questioned how the three properties reported as having permissions obtained approval after inspections conducted in December 2025 and February 2026, and said they should not be regularised.
The High Court has directed the administration to continue examining the properties identified in the petition. The district administration’s next steps include completing closure action against the remaining 12 resorts and addressing notices and document verification for the properties whose status is disputed.
