TIRUPPUR: Farmers staged road blockade protest for the second day on Palani-Erode road near the Erode-Tiruppur border, seeking compensation for livestock killed by stray dogs. After a long negotiation, police detained around 150 farmers on Friday evening.
Sources said that farmers from Tiruppur and Erode districts have been continuously requesting the state government to take steps to prevent the killing of livestock by stray dogs. In addition, those who lost their animals in stray dog attacks demanded solatium as well. As the Tiruppur district administration assured these farmers that they would talk to the state government within two months regarding this, no initiative was taken.
On Thursday morning, 20 goats were allegedly killed by stray dogs in Chennimalai, Erode district and three were killed in Sivanmalai, Tiruppur district. The affected farmers and office bearers of various farmers associations began a roadblock on Palani-Erode road with carcasses of the goats. It continued on Friday as well. As a result, all vehicles were diverted through alternative routes.
P Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakoil Branch Canal Water Conservation Movement, said, “Livestock are getting killed by stray dogs in both districts everyday. Even on Friday around seven goats were killed. We will not give up our protest until we get compensation. We have lost hundreds of goats since 2024.”
He added, “This needs to be prevented immediately. Because livestock is important for the livelihood of farmers, adequate compensation should be given for the goats that were killed by stray dogs.”
Though officials of the district revenue office led by K Karthikeyan held talks with farmers and urged them to call off the protest, the farmers said that they would not stop protesting until they got compensation.
After a long negotiation, Kangeyam police detained around 150 farmers including 50 women on Friday evening. Condemning this, farmers raised slogans against the arrest and this led to some commotion in the area.