Trapped in the wild

The human habitations of Pampa Valley and Angel Valley in Erumely panchayat in Kottayam and Thattekad, Urulanthanni and Kuttampuzha wards of Kuttampuzha panchayat in Ernakulam are trapped in two protected forest areas. The National Wildlife Board has positively considered Kerala’s recommendations to lift the protected status of these areas. While the move has come after years of protracted struggle, the people remain sceptical about the final outcome, report Hiran Unnikrishnan and K.S. Sudhi