Tamil Nadu’s encroachment problem

Tamil Nadu's encroachment difficulty The Supreme Court has pulled up the State for not dealing with encroachers in Agasthyamalai.

Key points

• As per official records of 2020, around 4, 595 individuals are encroaching upon 5, 071.27 hectares of reserved forest land.
• With respect to the Kalakad-Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve, the CEC documented that the total extent of encroachment is 10.16 hectares by 998 families.
• The top court directed that disciplinary and legal action be initiated against all identified 118 Administration servants identified to be encroachers.
• With regard to the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, the CEC documented sizeable encroachment, and non-availability of verified maps of the reserve forest.
• In reply to the CEC report, the State of Tamil Nadu filed a detailed affidavit listing the steps taken by the authorities.

In 2025, the Supreme Court had directed the Central Empowered Committee to conduct an extensive survey of the Agasthyamalai landscape so as to identify all instances of non-forestry activities going on contrary to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 etc. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

Frustrated by the Tamil Nadu government's inability to evict "encroachers" in the Agasthyamalai landscape, the Supreme Court lately stated the matter required a structured, time bound, and closely monitored framework. According to A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, encroachments within the protected areas of the Agasthyamalai landscape, including the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, the Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve and the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, have persisted over decades despite specific directions issued by the Madras High Court and the top court.

In fact, the Supreme Court went as far to suggest using the paramilitary to evict the encroachers to preserve and protect the ecologically sensitive regions.

With regard to the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, the CEC documented sizeable encroachment, and non-availability of verified maps of the reserve forest. An area of 427.40 hectares has been encroached with 237.09 hectares involved in litigation. According to the report, whenever the Forest Department had attempted evictions, law and order matters have arisen; a joint effort would be necessary.

As it forms the upper catchment of the Vaigai River, a critical water source for five downstream districts, further, the CEC observed that the Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve is one of the most ecologically vulnerable areas. As per official records of 2020, around 4, 595 individuals are encroaching upon 5, 071.27 hectares of reserved forest land. According to The CEC, these encroachments are old, with numerous of them involved in the permanent cultivation of crops such as silk cotton, cardamom, and beans, and that in spite of clear orders from the High Court to remove encroachments, no significant progress has been created so far. Moreover, a total of 116 administration and public utility structures have been constructed inside forest lands without prior approval. Alarmingly, a total of 118 individuals listed as encroachers have been identified as serving or retired administration employees, including personnel from the Army, Police, Forest Department, and other State departments.

In reply to the CEC report, the State of Tamil Nadu filed a detailed affidavit listing the steps taken by the authorities. It candidly acknowledged the challenges faced such as resistance from encroachers, ongoing court cases, and that plenty of encroachers were landless and from economically weaker sections.

While the SC judges acknowledged that the complexity of the rehabilitation task was real and could not be understated, it nevertheless could not be a perpetual justification for the indefinite postponement of legally mandated eviction and restoration measures, they observed. The top court directed that disciplinary and legal action be initiated against all identified 118 Administration servants identified to be encroachers. It additionally sought a blanket moratorium on the extension of welfare schemes, public utilities, transport facilities, electricity supply, and infrastructure backing within encroached forest areas, so as to ensure that illegal occupation is neither incentivised nor legitimised. It additionally ordered a complete prohibition on approval or commencement of any new non-forestry activity within Agasthyamalai.

With such clear directions, the new coalition administration led by C. Joseph Vijay has a tough task ahead, especially with the two major Dravidian parties in the Opposition probable to oppose it as it involves the eviction of thousands of families. The administration additionally has the humongous task of resettling and rehabilitating the displaced families as well as restoring the original forests.

For now, tamil Nadu's encroachment problem remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.