Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu segment of the Nation-wide Gaj Yatra, a rally aimed at monitoring and creating awareness about elephant corridors in the country began on Thursday in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu segment of the Nation-wide Gaj Yatra, a rally aimed at monitoring and creating awareness about elephant corridors in the country began on Thursday in Coimbatore.
Gaj Yatra is being organised in all the elephant corridor States by the Wildlife Trust of India, with partnerships from Tata Chemicals limited (TCL) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Osai Environmental organisation is the conservation partner for Coimbatore district. The project is also being support by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Project Elephant and Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
The rally that kick started at the Anna University campus at Navavoor Pirivu here moved towards the Anaikatti Tribal welfare school, where awareness street plays were staged for school children. A public meeting was also held at the Anaikatti bus stop around and awareness was created among general public.
Anaikatti has been selected due to its close proximity to the Boluvampatti – Attapadi elephant corridor, which is one of the major inter-state elephant corridors in the State.
According to K. Ramkumar, Manager and Project Head of Elephant Corridor Securement Projects, South India, Coimbatore district hosts seven elephant corridors, the most among the 16 elephant corridors in the State. While the Nilgiris district has five corridors, Srivilliputhur and Erode have a corridor each.
“The rally would be taken to all the corridors in the State including those in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Valparai, Sathyamangalam, Srivilliputhur, Hosur and would conclude with a valediction in Chennai on the 8th of March,” he said.
He further added that the aim of the rally was to create awareness about the importance of elephants and elephant corridors, and why it is important to secure elephant corridors. “The consequences of not securing elephant corridors would also be shared,” he informed.
With corridors being largely manipulated by changing land use patterns, the organisation also aims to bring on board general public in the conservation of corridors through local NGOs who are given the sobriquet of ‘Green Corridor Champions’.
Three fabricated elephants are also to be sent to all the elephant corridors for awareness creation.
Gaj Yatra is being organised in all the elephant corridor States by the Wildlife Trust of India, with partnerships from Tata Chemicals limited (TCL) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Osai Environmental organisation is the conservation partner for Coimbatore district. The project is also being support by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Project Elephant and Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
The rally that kick started at the Anna University campus at Navavoor Pirivu here moved towards the Anaikatti Tribal welfare school, where awareness street plays were staged for school children. A public meeting was also held at the Anaikatti bus stop around and awareness was created among general public.
Anaikatti has been selected due to its close proximity to the Boluvampatti – Attapadi elephant corridor, which is one of the major inter-state elephant corridors in the State.
According to K. Ramkumar, Manager and Project Head of Elephant Corridor Securement Projects, South India, Coimbatore district hosts seven elephant corridors, the most among the 16 elephant corridors in the State. While the Nilgiris district has five corridors, Srivilliputhur and Erode have a corridor each.
“The rally would be taken to all the corridors in the State including those in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Valparai, Sathyamangalam, Srivilliputhur, Hosur and would conclude with a valediction in Chennai on the 8th of March,” he said.
He further added that the aim of the rally was to create awareness about the importance of elephants and elephant corridors, and why it is important to secure elephant corridors. “The consequences of not securing elephant corridors would also be shared,” he informed.
With corridors being largely manipulated by changing land use patterns, the organisation also aims to bring on board general public in the conservation of corridors through local NGOs who are given the sobriquet of ‘Green Corridor Champions’.
Three fabricated elephants are also to be sent to all the elephant corridors for awareness creation.