Area adjacent to Muthikulam and Siruvani forests The Tribunal for Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands)- First Additional District Court has declared as evergreen forest 37.32 hectares of land claimed by a private party as cultivated area at Anakaranam Malavaram of Palakkayam village in the Mannarkad Forest Division . The scheduled property in survey number 2020\3 of Palakkayam village was notified as ecologically fragile land under the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Act, 2003 which came into effect on June 2, 2000 “for the conservation and management of ecologically fragile lands for minimizing the degradation of the eco-system and bio-diversity therein.” K. Manoj, Forest Range Officer, Mannarkkad, in his affidavit to the Court said “the land was inspected by the committee constituted under the Act and unanimously recommended for preserving the area as Ecologically Fragile Lands under Section 3 (1) of Act 21 of 2005. The area is an evergreen forest and hence qualifies the definition of EFL. Almost all the typical tropical evergreen species are found in the area. The area is adjacent to the Muthikulam reserve forest and Siruvani forests which support endemic species such as the Nilgiri Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel and Lion Tailed Macaque, etc.” It provides a habitat for animals, including elephants, guar, deer, primates, etc. The claim of the petitioner that the land was cultivated was not correct as there were no traces of coffee or cardamom cultivation in the area. Three sides of the area except the west were surrounded by evergreen forests,” the affidavit of the Forest Department said. Vinod Kayanat, public prosecutor who appeared for the Forest Department, said the EFL court rejected the claim of the plaintiff and Power of Attorney holder A.J. Thomas that “the area was cultivated with coffee and cardamom for an extent of 37.73 acres and the rest cultivated with plantain and other dry crops”.