The Segur Plateau, which is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Nilgiris District Collector has informed the Madras High Court that a total of 459.89 acres of government land have been reclassified as forest land in the ecologically important Segur Plateau for the elephant corridor.In a status report submitted before a Special Division Bench of the Court last month, the Collector stated that the district administration recently reclassified an extent of 424.45 acres of government land as forest land in addition to the 35.44 acres that had already been reclassified.
The process of their mutation in Revenue records was in progress. The Collector’s report further stated that 107.91 acre of government land has been proposed for notification by the Forest Settlement Officer, Gudalur.
The Bench directed the Collector to file a report on the total extent of Revenue land available adjacent to the elephant corridor.The status report stated that a joint committee, with the Collector as the chairperson, has been constituted for the reclassification of patta land parcels. District Revenue Officer and Settlement Officer, Gudalur Janmam Lands; Deputy Director of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve; Deputy Director of the Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur; and Revenue Divisional Officer, Udhagamandalam, are among the members.The Collector informed the Bench that the district administration has undertaken a preliminary survey of patta land parcels falling under 226 survey field (SF) numbers, covering a total of 2,736.13 acre.
The committee will undertake a detailed examination of these land parcels in a phased manner to determine the ones suitable and worthy of acquisition. As a first step, the committee has proposed to identify critical areas, particularly land parcels abutting riverbeds and waterbodies.With regard to the demolition of resorts within the elephant corridor, the status report stated that four out of the 38 resorts sealed were fully demolished.
Four resorts were partially demolished and their owners filed affidavits. While owners of 25 resorts filed their affidavits, owners of five others did not file affidavits.The Bench ordered that authorities shall proceed with demolition in accordance with law in the case of resorts, owners of which have not filed affidavits.
With regard to the resorts the owners of which have filed their affidavits, the Bench ordered Revenue and Forest Department officials to inspect them to find out whether those buildings were being used for any commercial activity and file a report. Published - November 04, 2026 08:52 pm IST