The world-renowned Silent Valley is facing an ecological threat as 35 acres of its corridor at Kakkivani Malavaram, under the Mannarkkad Forest Division, in Kerala, were cleared for plantain cultivation, allegedly, by a former village officer with the connivance of some Forest officials. The area that is the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, was taken over by the Government under the Kerala Private Forest (Vesting and Assignment) Act, 1971. The Nellipuzha River originates in Malavaram that connects the Silent Valley National Park with the Muthikulam Reserve Forest.