Chittoor: Collector M Harinarayanan seeks action plan to check elephant menace

Chittoor: District Collector M Harinarayanan on Thursday directed the Forest department officials to prepare an action plan for sending it to the government approval to confine the elephants in the forest, to save farmers and their crops from the jumbos.

In the backdrop of elephants damaging crops and also death of elephants due to electrocution in various places in the recent months, the Collector held a meeting with the senior officials of Forest department here on Thursday to review the crop damages caused by the elephants, compensation to the affected farmers and also death of elephants in the areas under Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary covering Palamaner, Kuppam and Chittoor district.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) (West) Ravi Sankar said that the number of elephants, which was just 9 in 2012 has now increased to 70-90 moving in groups in the wildlife sanctuary covering about 6,000 hectare in Palamaner, Punganur, Kuppam and Chittoor forest areas.

Recently the groups also split in to small numbers of elephants resulting in some behavioural changes turning them violent while some attacking humans, he said explaining the reason for elephants attacking humans and damaging crops.

For various reasons, 9 elephants died while 10 persons and 37 cows died in the elephants attacks in various places since 2013, he said adding that the elephant problem was more felt in Kuppam, Chittoor and Punganur areas where there is no measures like fencing or trenches to prevent elephants straying into human habitations. In Palamaner area comprising 4,610 hectares under the wildlife, an area of 3,426.8 hectares covered under fencing, he informed.

The elephants were fond of sugarcane, paddy, banana, beans and mango leaves often coming out of the forests, reaching the fields for tasty fodder in the process causing damage to standing crops and also attacking anyone trying to obstruct them, he explained.

Though most areas are covered under fencing and trenches, the elephants cleverly find the gaps and manage to come out of forests, he said adding that they were also venturing on the national highways taking advantage of movement less vehicles due to lockdown adding more to the menace.

DFO (East) Narendiran said as Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary in Seshachalam forests of Tirumala hill ranges linked to the Koundinya elephant zone, the tuskers often coming into these areas also in search of delicious fodder resulting in the jumbo attacking the fields damaging crops.

He said the farmers, who were in a frantic effort to save their crops attack them and fall victims. The Collector urged the forest officials to involve other departments like agriculture, horticulture in the preparation of action plan and it should cover the steps like fencing, trenches etc. to stop elephants venturing into human habitations and also adequate compensation to farmers who lost their crop due to elephants storming fields.

The Collector also wanted the forest officials to take up works under MGNREGA to safeguard farmers interests and also protect the elephants.