Elephant Corridor in India, State Wise List, Features, Legal Aspects

Elephants are keystone species that shape forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds, creating clearings, and maintaining ecological balance. India hosts nearly 60% of the global wild Asian elephant population, giving it a critical responsibility for elephant conservation. Rapid habitat fragmentation, infrastructure expansion, and human settlements have disrupted traditional elephant migration routes, increasing human-elephant conflict. Elephant corridors in India play a vital role in enabling safe seasonal movement between forest habitats, supporting genetic diversity, reducing conflict, and ensuring long term survival of elephants across landscapes.

Elephant Corridor in India

An Elephant Corridor in India refers to a defined strip of land that allows elephants to move between two or more suitable forest habitats. According to the Elephant Corridors of India Report 2023, India has 150 ground validated elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states, a 40% increase from 88 corridors identified in 2010. These corridors connect 33 Elephant Reserves spread across 10 major elephant landscapes, enabling seasonal migration, genetic exchange, and access to food and water. West Bengal alone accounts for 26 corridors, the highest in the country.

Elephant Corridor in India Features

Elephant corridors in India function as ecological lifelines, balancing elephant survival needs with human development pressures across multiple landscapes.

• Ecological Connectivity: Corridors maintain landscape level connectivity, preventing habitat isolation and supporting long distance movement between feeding, breeding, and water areas.
• Genetic Diversity Preservation: Continuous movement allows inter breeding between elephant groups, preventing genetic bottlenecks and maintaining healthy populations.
• Human-Elephant Conflict Reduction: Well protected corridors reduce crop raids and accidental encounters by guiding elephants away from villages and farmlands.
• Keystone Species Protection: Elephants shape forests by seed dispersal and vegetation modification, making corridor conservation critical for entire ecosystems.
• Habitat Restoration Needs: Around 10 corridors require immediate restoration due to infrastructure barriers, mining, agriculture, or linear development projects.
• Usage Pattern Changes: Approximately 29 corridors show declining usage due to fragmentation, while 59 corridors report stable or increased elephant movement.
• Cultural and Heritage Value: Elephants are India’s National Heritage Animal, deeply embedded in traditions, reinforcing strong public and institutional conservation support.
• Landscape Ecology Application: Modern corridor identification integrates satellite imagery, long term field data, GIS analysis, and adaptive algorithms.
• Disaster Risk Linkages: Hydropeaking risks from projects like Lower Subansiri hydropower threaten corridor safety, especially for calves during sudden water releases.
• Forest Regeneration Role: Corridors aid forest regeneration by enabling seed dispersal across degraded patches, benefiting multiple wildlife species including tigers.

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Elephant Corridor in India Legal Aspects

Elephant corridor protection in India is supported by constitutional duties, wildlife laws, judicial rulings, and national conservation initiatives.

• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Corridors can be legally notified as Conservation Reserves under Section 36A or Community Reserves under Section 36C.
• Project Elephant Framework: Launched in 1992, Project Elephant provides financial and technical assistance for corridor protection, habitat management, and conflict mitigation.
• MoEFCC Coordination: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change coordinates corridor identification and validation with state forest departments.
• Supreme Court Recognition: The Supreme Court upheld the “right of passage” for elephants, affirming state responsibility to protect migratory routes.
• Madras High Court Ruling: The court validated Tamil Nadu’s notification of the Sigur Plateau corridor, citing Article 51A(g) of the Constitution.
• Article 51A(g): This constitutional duty mandates citizens and governments to protect forests, wildlife, and show compassion for living creatures.
• National Elephant Corridor Project: This initiative aims to secure and manage corridors to ensure long term elephant survival within India’s political boundaries.
• MIKE Programme: Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants operates in 10 Indian elephant reserves, tracking poaching trends under CITES since 2003.
• Technology Driven Measures: LiDAR based habitat mapping, real time conflict portals like “Surakshya,” and Project RE-HAB bee-fencing enhance corridor safety.
• State Specific Actions: Kerala declared human-animal conflict a state specific disaster, while Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were directed to notify the Dulung-Subansiri corridor.

Elephant Corridor in India List

India has 150 ground validated elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states, as identified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in coordination with State Forest Departments. East-Central India hosts 52 corridors (35%), the North-East has 48 corridors (32%), Southern India has 32 corridors (21 %), and Northern India has 18 corridors (12%).