thumb|right|Cardamom Hills western slope as seen from [[Vagamon, Kerala]]

right|thumbnail|[[Periyar National Park]]

The Cardamom Hills or Yela Mala are mountain range of southern India and part of the southern Western Ghats located in Idukki district, Kerala, India. Their name comes from the cardamom spice grown in much of the hills' cool elevation, which also supports pepper and coffee. The Western Ghats and Periyar Sub-Cluster including the Cardamom Hills are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Geography

The Cardamom Hills central point is about . They cover about 2,800&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of mountainous terrain with deep valleys, and includes the drainages of the west flowing Periyar, Mullayar and Pamba rivers. It includes Idukki Dam and Mullaperiyar Dam. They conjoin the Anaimalai Hills to the northwest, the Palani Hills to the northeast and the Pothigai to the south as far as the Aryankavu pass (at c. 9° N). The crest of the hills form the boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Anamudi () in Eravikulam National Park, is the highest peak in Western Ghats and also the highest point in India south of the Himalayas.

Climate

The hills experience average daily temperatures of 15&nbsp;°C in winter to 31&nbsp;°C in summer (April–May). The annual rainfall of 2,000&nbsp;mm to 3,000&nbsp;mm in Periyar decreases to less than 1,500&nbsp;mm in the east in Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary. On the western side, two-thirds of the precipitation is received during the southwest monsoon from June to September. The areas also receive rainfall from the northeast monsoon (October–December) and from pre-monsoon showers (April–May).

Peaks in Cardamom Hills

Elevation ranges between and above MSL.

There are several named peaks over in the mountain range including:

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!Name !!Altitude!! Location

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| Anamudi || See:map.

CHR is the centre of a controversy between the Forest Department and the Revenue Department over control of the cardamom plantations in the reserve. Non-cardamom cultivation, illegal land conversion and large scale destruction of trees in the CHR have been blamed for flash-floods and landslips in Idukki and siltation problems in the Idukki dam.

According to the report dated 7 September 2005 of the Central Empowered Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court of India, the status of the Cardamom Hill Reserve is forest, and the extent is about 334 sq miles. The CEC concludes that in the Cardamom Hill Reserve, which still holds dense forest, illegal assignment of lands or grant of patta, illegal sales of land, large scale encroachments, transfer and sale of land and consequent deforestation, by the rich, the powerful and the influential, continue unabated in gross violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and this Honourable Court’s order dated 12 December 1996. This is causing irretrievable and immense loss to the dense evergreen forest holding rich bio-diversity on steep slopes and destroying the watersheds, water catchments and streams and rivers which flow through these forests.

References

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  • "Kerala Red Grabs Kerala Green", Tehelka, 14 April 2007