TENKASI: Farmers in Vadakarai and Kadayanallur regions have raised concerns over frequent wild elephant intrusions into their fields, alleging that the incidents have worsened in recent years. They claimed crops, including coconut, paddy, banana, lemon, and mango, have suffered extensive damage.
Speaking to TNIE, S T Sheik Maideen, district secretary of the All India Farmers Maha Sabha, said that nearly 1,000 coconut trees and about 50 hectares of paddy were destroyed this year alone.
“The forest department has not taken sufficient steps to prevent wild elephants from intruding into farms. With Tenkasi getting its own forest office from April 2025, the forest department should take the required steps to save farmers’ crops. The compensation given by the state was also not sufficient,” he said.
Farmers said that elephant intrusion was frequently reported at Vadakarai, Chokkampatti, Achanputhur, and Kadayanallur. “In September, three such incidents were reported in Vadakarai alone,” they added.
When contacted, district forest officer R Rajamohan told TNIE that his department planned to erect 20km of solar-powered fences and dig 8km of trenches in the region by March 2026.
“We have so far given around Rs 10 lakh as compensation and sought a Rs 25 lakh corpus fund. Farmers are also being offered subsidies to set up solar fences. A rapid response team has been deployed in Kadayanallur to drive elephants back into the Western Ghats,” he said.
He added that a scientific study would be undertaken to examine changes in elephant behaviour, diet, and vegetation patterns in the Tenkasi forest division.