Thrissur: The trial run for shifting the rogue tusker Arikomban from Chinnakanal to Parambikulam was interrupted following the protests by local residents in Vazhachal here on Tuesday.
They have laid a siege to the Vazhachal checkpost, and have been blocking vehicles at the checkpost since Tuesday morning.
It was earlier reported that the elephant would be relocated to Muthuvarachal in Parambikulam via Vazhachal. Muthuvarachal is located 10 kilometres away from Vazhachal.
Meanwhile, protests are intensifying in Parambikulam following the High Court order which directed the state Forest Department to relocate Arikomban from Chinnakanal to the forests in the region. The expert committee constituted by the court had directed to release of the elephant in the Muthuvarachal area after tranquilizing it in Idukki.
On Monday, people staged a protest at Athirappilly region by blocking the works to open a forest route to facilitate the movement of Arkomban.
An earth mover, which had been brought from Vazhachal for renovating the Koop road from Vazhachal to Parambikulam for transporting the elephant, had to be sent back following the protests staged by tribal people.
The authorities are planning to take the tranquilized elephant to Parambikulam through the Karamthodu forest route by crossing the river. The 26-km Koop road has been lying in shambles for lack of maintenance in most parts. The tribals, however, allege that the authorities might release the elephant halfway through the Vazhachal forests, as it would be difficult for them to transport the animal through this route with steep climbs.
The Forest Rights Act stipulates prior permission from the tribal collective or Oorukoottam for building roads inside the forests or even cutting down tree branches. The steps for transporting Arikomban, however, were being initiated without any such consent, charged Geetha, chieftain of the Vazhachal tribal settlements.
Arikomban, the rogue wild tusker has been creating havoc in the Chinnakanal and Shantanpara regions of Idukki for close to two decades.
His fascination for raiding ration shops to steal rice earned him the fancy name that is a combination of the Malayalam words Ari (rice) and Komban (tusker).
