Locals wish to see Kallar Horticulture Farm in its original place

Kallar: People from different backgrounds have urged the advocates (friends of the court) appointed by the Madras High Court to inspect the Kallar Horticulture Farm near Mettupalayam and not to suggest moving it from its original place. The advocates recently visited the farm and are now preparing their reports to present on the table of the High Court on October 14.

Several people have requested the advocates, including farmers, students, social activists, and so on, not to move the farm because it has been operating from this place for the last 124 years. They believe that it is wrong to remove it from its original place, but as per the authorities, the farm is within an elephant corridor.

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According to a pleader, the farm has occupied 21.80 acres. The Horticulture Department had taken a step for the free movement of the elephants. The department removed the children’s playground equipment like the seesaw, slide, and swing from the farm. Besides this, solar fencing of 1.5 km was also removed.

Visitors have been banned from entering the farm since February 2024. The locals want to see the farm in the same place. One of the advocates said that we will place our report on October 14, and after that the court will take the final decision.

Sources in the Horticulture Department said they have already told the High Court that creating a similar farm in another location would be very difficult because the soil and climate in Kallar are unique. Here the department has been taking care of 53 types of plants, including fruit-bearing plants and native trees, on the farm. Students are allowed to visit, but only for educational purposes, and 23 lakh plants were delivered to farmers over the last ten years,” a department source said.