A committee appointed by the Madras High Court conducted an inspection of the 100-year-old Kallar Government Horticultural Fruit Farm in Mettupalayam, following concerns about its closure due to alleged location on an elephant corridor.
Coimbatore: A committee appointed by the Madras High Court conducted an on-site inspection of the century-old Kallar Government Horticultural Fruit Farm in Mettupalayam on Thursday. The inspection comes amid concerns about the farm's potential closure due to its alleged location on an elephant corridor.
The committee, comprising lawyers C. Mohan, Rahul Balaji, Santhanaraman, and government counsel Muhammad Sadiq, visited the farm to assess the situation. Hundreds of students, social activists, farmers, and representatives from various organizations gathered at the site to submit petitions to the committee, urging against the closure of the farm.
Established in 1900 during the British rule, the Kallar Fruit Farm is known for its year-round moderate climate, fertile soil, and water resources. The farm cultivates rare fruit varieties such as mangosteen, durian, water apple, egg fruit, and Singapore jackfruit, along with medicinal plants and flower varieties. It also produces and sells tree saplings to farmers at subsidized rates and serves as a learning center for botany research students.
Mettupalayam MLA A.K. Selvaraj met with the committee members and emphasized the importance of the fruit farm. He argued that it was unreasonable to suddenly declare the area as an elephant corridor after the farm had been operational for over 120 years.
The committee conducted a thorough inspection of the farm, examining documents and assessing whether the area falls within the elephants' movement range. Senior officials from the Horticulture and Forest departments were present to assist with the inspection.
Following the visit, the committee is expected to file a detailed report with the Madras High Court. The court's decision based on this report will determine the future of the historic Kallar Fruit Farm, balancing the concerns of wildlife conservation with the preservation of a century-old agricultural and educational resource.
The committee, comprising lawyers C. Mohan, Rahul Balaji, Santhanaraman, and government counsel Muhammad Sadiq, visited the farm to assess the situation. Hundreds of students, social activists, farmers, and representatives from various organizations gathered at the site to submit petitions to the committee, urging against the closure of the farm.
Established in 1900 during the British rule, the Kallar Fruit Farm is known for its year-round moderate climate, fertile soil, and water resources. The farm cultivates rare fruit varieties such as mangosteen, durian, water apple, egg fruit, and Singapore jackfruit, along with medicinal plants and flower varieties. It also produces and sells tree saplings to farmers at subsidized rates and serves as a learning center for botany research students.
Mettupalayam MLA A.K. Selvaraj met with the committee members and emphasized the importance of the fruit farm. He argued that it was unreasonable to suddenly declare the area as an elephant corridor after the farm had been operational for over 120 years.
The committee conducted a thorough inspection of the farm, examining documents and assessing whether the area falls within the elephants' movement range. Senior officials from the Horticulture and Forest departments were present to assist with the inspection.
Following the visit, the committee is expected to file a detailed report with the Madras High Court. The court's decision based on this report will determine the future of the historic Kallar Fruit Farm, balancing the concerns of wildlife conservation with the preservation of a century-old agricultural and educational resource.