Contract terminated as Aralam elephant wall project misses deadline again

The deadline to complete a critical 6-km stretch of an elephant wall at the Aralam farm expired on June 1 with only 4.097 kilometres completed, prompting authorities to terminate the contract with the construction firm. The delay has reignited fears of wild elephant attack in the farm area.

The embankment project, launched on September 30, 2023, by the Forest Minister aimed to construct a 10-km elephant wall and a 500-metre rail fence within a year. Following the killing of a couple by a wild elephant in Block 13 on February 23 this year, the deadline for the initial 6-km stretch was extended to April 30 and then to June 1.

₹37.9-crore project

With the contractor repeatedly violating deadlines, officials cancelled the agreement leaving the future of the ₹37.9-crore project uncertain. The wall and rail fence, covering 9.899 kilometres from the Valayamchal forest office to Parippthodu, is crucial for protecting vulnerable families living in the forest fringes.

Negligence in completing the wall has exposed communities to persistent threats. In the past decade, wild animals have killed 14 people and destroyed crops worth ₹90 crore across the region.

Local people and activists are now demanding immediate action to resume and fast-track the construction work.

Published - June 06, 2025 06:32 pm IST