The Mattupetty tourism project in Kerala’s Idukki district has drawn criticism from environmentalists, who warn that fencing off grassland used by wild elephants for fodder and drinking water could increase the animals’ movement into nearby human settlements.
The grassland lies within the 105 sq km catchment area of the Mattupetty Dam and along the Munnar–Top Station Road. According to environmentalists cited by the Times of India, elephants regularly gather in the area because it remains green and provides convenient access to water from the dam.
M N Jayachandran, vice-president of the Idukki Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the Kerala Livestock Development Board would be responsible for depriving elephants of access to food and water if the tourism project proceeds in its current form. The area traditionally used by elephants for grazing and drinking has been fenced and opened to tourists, the report said.
Environmentalists have questioned the use of land allotted for cattle rearing and livestock development activities for tourism in a location that also functions as a wild elephant habitat. Their concern is that restricting access to natural fodder and water could force elephants to search for food in human-occupied areas, increasing the likelihood of encounters and conflict.
The dispute highlights the overlapping uses of land around Mattupetty, where livestock-related activities, tourism access, road traffic and wildlife movement exist within the same landscape. The reported concern is not limited to the fencing itself but also to how public agencies assess habitat use before opening ecologically sensitive areas to visitors.
Environmentalists also referred to an earlier incident in which a wild elephant died after coming into contact with an electric fence at the Mattupetty farm. They said the electric fence was not removed even after that incident. The new tourism access arrangements, they argued, would further reduce the availability of fodder and water for elephants in the grassland.
The report did not include a response from the Kerala Livestock Development Board or details of any wildlife assessment, mitigation plan or revised access arrangement for the project. The immediate issue for the authorities is therefore whether the fenced area can be used for tourism without restricting elephant movement and increasing the risk of conflict along the Munnar–Top Station corridor.
