Silent Valley National Park - Challenges
Forest Fire
Fire is one of the major threats facing forests in
Kerala. People engaged in grazing livestock often burn an area to get fresh
grass shoots for their cattle, especially during dry season when fire danger is
greatest. Also, illicit activities like ganja cultivation, poaching, tree
felling, non timber forest products (NTFP) collection and very often careless
tourists and pilgrims are responsible for big forest fires.
Cannabis Cultivation
The cannabis mafia has cut hundreds of acres of evergreen
tropical forest in the Attappady Hills, including Silent Valley buffer zones,
for illegal cultivation of the cash crop. The Forest Department had an
ambitious plan to root out ganja cultivation from the Attappady forests by
April 2006.
Maoist Presence
The ticket counter of the Silent Valley National Park at
Mukkali was attacked by a group of Maoists in December, 2014. A big contingent
of special police has been deployed there since then, but the growing influence
of Maoist groups among the tribal of east Kerala is of grave concern.
