Revenue department to conduct hearing for landowners in Keralam’s ecologically fragile Chokramudy

Neelakurinji bloom in an area under encroachment in the Chokramudy hills under Bison Valley panchayat in Idukki. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Vellaram The controversial land at Chokramudy under the Bison Valley panchayat in Idukki has once again grabbed headlines, with the Revenue department deciding to conduct a hearing for local petitioners.The move follows a recent High Court order directing the Devikulam Subcollector to grant landowners an opportunity to submit relevant land records and to conduct a formal hearing. Acting on the court’s directive, Subcollector V.M. Arya scheduled the proceedings.The Subcollector stated that the court had granted landowners two weeks to submit their original title documents. “The court directed us to complete the hearing process within four months. The landowners have not yet submitted their records. Once they do, the Revenue department will take the necessary steps to hold the hearing,” Ms. Arya said.Hotspot for encroachersIn 2024, the Chokramudy hills near Munnar were widely known as a hotspot for encroachers. Within two years, however, the landscape became a thriving wildlife habitat, including the endangered Nilgiri tahr.The area first drew intense public attention in August 2024, when a native of Adimaly purchased 14.69 acres of ecologically fragile land in the Chokramudy hills and attempted to subdivide it into more than 60 commercial plots. The encroacher constructed an illegal road, felled numerous rare trees, and built a check dam across the hillside. In response, downstream residents formed the Chokramudy Protection Council to resist the illegal development.Following local complaints, the State government constituted two Special Investigation Teams (SITs) — one led by K. Sethuraman, former director of the Police Training College, and another headed by the Devikulam Subcollector. The investigation uncovered large-scale encroachment on government land alongside extensive damage to rare Neelakurinji flora.Acting on the SIT findings, the Revenue department cancelled title deeds for 13.69 acres in March 2025 and reclaimed the land. By August 2025, authorities cancelled deeds for an additional 1.05 acres and seized an illegal resort built on the tract.Concerns raisedMeanwhile, local tribal communities voiced serious concerns over the recent court order, fearing the land could once again fall into the hands of encroachers. Kumaraswami, head of the Chokramudy tribal settlement, warned that if encroachers return, community members will pitch temporary sheds on the hills and stage an indefinite protest.Officials noted that following the government takeover, the Chokramudy hills experienced a massive blooming of Neelakurinji blossoms, restoring a vital sanctuary for both endemic flora and fauna, including the Nilgiri tahr. Published - November 03, 2026 07:10 pm IST