Forest officials in Udumalpet imposed fines totaling Rs. 2.4 lakh on 12 individuals for unauthorized entry and stay in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve area. The incident occurred during routine patrols in the forest region.
Coimbatore: The Forest Department of Udumalpet has levied fines on 12 individuals for unauthorized entry and stay in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve area. The total fine amount comes to Rs. 2.4 lakh, with each person being charged Rs. 20,000.
The incident came to light during routine patrols conducted by forest officials in the Mavadappu area of the Udumalpet forest range. This area, along with Kattupatti, Kuzhipatti, and Kurumalai residential areas, has been under increased surveillance due to ongoing issues with illicit liquor.
Seven individuals from Chennai and the Thirumoorthy Hills Sri Lankan refugee camp were found trespassing without prior permission from the Forest Department. They were identified as Maheshwaran (37), Vijayakumar (36), Varadaraj (35), Madheshwaran (37) from Chennai, and Sudhakar (42), Walter (43), and Nagamanickam (28) from the refugee camp.
In a separate incident, five locals from Udumalpet taluk were also caught staying illegally in the forest area. They were identified as Aruchamy (39), Karthikraja (33), Prakash (27) from Ravanapuram, and Nithyanantham (41) and Manikkavasagam (52) from Devanurputhur. These individuals claimed they had entered the forest to purchase cattle.
Investigation revealed that both groups were brought into the forest area by local tribal residents from Mavadappu and Kattupatti settlements. The Forest Department has issued a stern warning to the tribal communities, stating that bringing outsiders into forest residential areas without prior permission is strictly prohibited and will result in severe action.
This incident highlights the need for stricter enforcement of forest protection laws and increased awareness among both locals and visitors about the importance of obtaining proper permissions before entering protected forest areas.