Demolition of controversial stud farm begins at Chekadi following court directive

Wayanad: The controversial stud farm at Chekadi, which drew widespread protests from local farmers and tribal communities, is finally being dismantled, according to villagers. Acting on a warning issued by the District Administration, the farm owner has agreed to relocate the facility, which had become a major source of concern for the village.

Earlier, the owner had approached the High Court challenging the administration’s directive. However, after reviewing the case, the court instructed the state government to ensure the demolition of the farm in order to restore peace and protect the interests of the farming community.

The court found that the land reclamation was illegal. Drainage from the farm had been diverted into streams running through paddy fields, while deep canals had been dug to drain water, leading to severe water shortages in neighbouring agricultural areas.

Adding to the farmers' woes, stud farm workers had released horses into farmlands, resulting in extensive crop damage. Sultan Bathery tahsildar Shaji V K confirmed that four of the farm’s sheds had been demolished by Wednesday evening. “I expect the remaining structures will also be removed in the coming days,” he said. His team had earlier served the demolition notice and a stop memo to the farm.

Although the owners initially ignored the stop memo, they later sought relief from the High Court. “The main challenge in proceeding with the demolition was the presence of horses on the premises,” Shaji told Onmanorama. “There were initially nine horses; now only three remain.”

The state government has granted time until April 23 for the complete demolition and restoration of the paddy land, it is learned. “The demolition drive began on Wednesday morning, and nearly half the structures were taken down by evening,” said Radhakrishnan Manikkattil, a farmer from Chekadi. “We now feel more confident about continuing farming, and the media’s support reassured us that our concerns were being heard.”

The Wayanad District Collector, D R Meghasree, had earlier issued a directive on January 13 to Siddique K of Cherukattoor, the farm owner, to restore the paddy fields to their original state. The directive was based on a report by the Principal Agricultural Officer and in accordance with Section 13 of the Kerala Paddy Land and Wetland Conservation Act, 2008.