COIMBATORE: Members of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam staged a protest at Mettupalayam on Tuesday urging the state government to revoke the Power Fences (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2023. They alleged that the rules would make it difficult for farmers to get no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department and Tangedco, which is mandatory to set up electric or solar fences on their farmlands to prevent wild animal intrusions.
Speaking to TNIE, T Venugopal, president of the association, said, “If a farmer were to follow the norms mentioned in Power Fences Rules, he has to spend between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh to set up electric fences for one acre whereas it costs Rs 20,000 to 30,000 currently. No farmer will be able to set up electric or solar fences as per these norms. This is not viable since all farmers cannot afford it. The forest department should install solar or electric fences along forest boundaries so that animals do not venture out.”
S Udayakumar, general secretary of the association, said the state government should set up the fence. “If animals don’t enter human habitations and cause damage, the forest department need not compensate people for crop loss or pay solatium in case of human casualties,” he said. He added that the government should distribute compensations pending to the farmers within a week. “Wild elephants and wild boars frequently enter farmlands and are damage coconut, banana and other crops. This pushes the farmers to debt,” said a farmer in Mettupalayam.