Mission Arikomban: High Court-appointed expert committee to visit Chinnakanal today

Chinnakanal: The expert committee appointed by the Kerala High Court to determine the future of Mission Arikomban will reach Idukki on Monday. After visiting Chinnakanal, the committee is likely to conduct sittings at Devikulam or Munnar. 

The court appointed a five-member expert committee to study the forest department’s mission to capture the wild jumbo Arikomban and shift it to Kodanad Elephant Training Centre. The committee comprises two higher officials from the forest department, two elephant experts and an amicus curiae. 

The committee will gather details directly from the residents by visiting Chinnakanal, 301 Colony, Sinkukandam, and Panniyar estate. The committee had earlier decided to arrive in Idukki on Tuesday. However, the visit was preponed when the hartal declared on Monday in the region was put off by the residents. 

The committee had conducted an online meeting in which the members requested to shift Arikomban to another forest region after tying a radio collar on its neck for tracking its movement. The forests in Periyar Tiger Reserve and Mathikettan Shola are under the consideration of the committee for this. 

Meanwhile, the residents alleged that they were not informed regarding the visit of the expert committee here.