**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 1494 in the Lok Sabha regarding construction within the Sigur Elephant Corridor in Tamil Nadu. It provides details on the number of constructions, actions taken against encroachments, and human casualties due to elephant conflict. The response references ongoing legal proceedings and actions mandated by the Supreme Court and Madras High Court, with a judgment of Madras High Court dated 12.09.2025, which directed to initiate the acquisition procedure within six months.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Construction Details within the Sigur Elephant Corridor:**
* Total Constructions: 821
* Resort complexes (39 resorts, with multiple buildings, totaling 309 structures): 309
* Houses: 390
* Other common buildings: 27
* Estates/Plantations: 09
* Cultivation Fields: 77
* Other Constructions: 09
* **Encroachment and Eviction Status:**
* 38 resorts were locked and sealed by the district administration, as per the Supreme Court order dated 9.8.2018.
* Madras High Court judgment dated 12.09.2025 directed to initiate acquisition procedure within six months; preliminary steps like survey are underway.
* Multiple Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order; matter is under litigation.
* Three cases related to resorts are yet to be examined by the Supreme Court-appointed Inquiry Committee.
* **Human-Elephant Conflict Casualties:**
* 112 human casualties occurred in the Nilgiris District due to human-elephant conflict from 2014 to date.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** State Government of Tamil Nadu and District Administration of Nilgiris
**Impact:** Responsible for implementing court orders and government policies regarding the Sigur Elephant Corridor.
**Action Required:** Continue taking steps for acquisition, carrying out surveys, and coordinating with legal proceedings and continue managing the human-elephant conflict situation.
**Stakeholder:** Owners and Occupants of Constructions within the Sigur Elephant Corridor
**Impact:** Affected by potential eviction, acquisition of property, and restrictions on construction.
**Action Required:** Participate in legal proceedings, comply with court orders, and cooperate with government authorities.
**Stakeholder:** Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Ministry.
**Impact:** Overseeing and reporting on the management of the Sigur Elephant Corridor.
**Action Required:** Monitor the situation, respond to parliamentary queries, and ensure that conservation efforts are aligned with legal requirements and ecological considerations.
Key Entities Referenced
Sigur Elephant Corridor: An elephant corridor in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu that is the subject of construction and encroachment issues.
Tamil Nadu: The state where the Sigur Elephant Corridor is located and the source of information regarding construction and human-elephant conflict.
Supreme Court of India: The court involved in various legal proceedings related to the Sigur Elephant Corridor, including WP No. 897 of 1996 and related SLPs.
Nilgiri District: The district in Tamil Nadu where the Sigur Elephant Corridor is located and where human fatalities due to elephant conflict have occurred.
Madras High Court: The High Court whose judgment in W.P. No. 26182 of 2023, directing acquisition procedures, is being challenged in the Supreme Court.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1494
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026
Construction inside the Sigur Elephant Corridor in Tamil Nadu
1494. SHRI MATHESWARAN V S:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is fact that there were over 800 constructions, including 39 resorts and 390 houses, inside
the Sigur Elephant Corridor in Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu;
(b) the reasons behind the encroachers have not evicted by the Government despite findings of Sigur
Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee and upheld by Madras High Court in September 2025
along with the reasons for no interim order has been passed by Supreme Court till date; and
(c) the number of persons killed by elephants in the Nilgiri district since 2014 to till date?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) As per the information received from the State of Tamil Nadu, the detailed plan of action report
comprising the construction in the Elephant corridor area have been submitted by the District collector,
Nilgiris, before the Hon'ble Supreme court of India for WP NO. 897 of 1996.
The details of the buildings based on the District collector's plan of action report, are as follows:-
Sl.No. Nature of the Constructions Total no of Constructions
1 Resort complex with restaurant and Total no of 309**
buildings within resort
2 Houses 390
3 Other common building 27
4 No. of Estates / Plantations 09
5 No. of Cultivation fields 77
6 Other Constructions 09
Total 821
**It is clarified that the actual number of resorts in the said corridor is 39. However, these resorts
contain multiple buildings, bringing the total number of individual structures to 309.
(b) As per the information received from the State of Tamil Nadu, as per the order of Hon’ble
Supreme Court of India in WP (S) Civil Nos 897 of 1996 on dated 9.8.2018, 38 numbers of resorts
were locked and sealed by district administration in the corridor area.Further, the Hon’ble High Court of Madras, judgment in W.P. No. 26182 of 2023 dated 12.09.2025,
directed to initiate the acquisition procedure within six months and the preliminary steps such as survey
are being undertaken by the District Administration in this regard.
Multiple Special Leave Petition (SLP- Civil) have been filed in the supreme court challenging the
above-said order. The following are the various SLP (C) which were filed before Hon’ble Supreme
court:
I. Main SLP (C) No. 32019 of 2025,
II. SLP (C) No. 36421 / 2025,
III. SLP (C) No. 716-717 / 2026,
IV. SLP (C) Diary No. 61702 / 2025
V. SLP (C) Diary No. 58875 / 2025
VI. SLP (C) Diary No. 60495 / 2025
VII. SLP (C) Diary No. 61046 / 2025
VIII. SLP (C) Diary No. 231 / 2025
Further, vide daily order of main SLP (C) 32019 of 2025, dated:08/12/2025, it has been directed to list
the connected SLPs to be placed before the Forest Bench i.e. W.P. (C) No. 202 of 1995 [T.N.
Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India].
Additionally, there are three cases related with resorts (108- 109 of 2021 & 1 of 2025) that are yet to
be examined by the Inquiry Committee appointed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in connection with
the elephant corridor matter (C.A. Nos. 3438/3439-2020 arising out of SLP Nos. 17319–17314/2011).
Therefore, the matter is under litigation.
(c) As per the information received from the State of Tamil Nadu, totally 112 numbers of human
causalities occurred due to Human Elephant Conflict in the Nilgiris District from 2014 to till date.
****