VIRUDHUNAGAR: Over 100 farmers who attended the farmers' grievance redressal meeting with the forest department after a year-long wait, boycotted the meeting, following the absence of the deputy director of SMTR, Srivilliputhur on the occasion.
According to sources, the farmers had earlier raised a series of issues that they wanted to bring to the notice of deputy director Dileep Kumar. "Their demands included a solution to end the intrusion of wild animals like elephants into their agricultural lands, and the need to remove wild boars from Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, owing to persistent wild boar menace leading to huge financial loss to the farmers.
President of Tamilaga Vivasiyigal Sangam NA Ramachandra Raja said around ten years ago, moats were dug at the forest lands to prevent the entry of elephants into the agricultural lands. "But these moats have been ruined due to climatic conditions. The department has to either rectify the issue or come up with a solution with the help of technology to prevent the animals' intrusion," he said.
He added that the department has not taken adequate measures to provide water to these animals in the forest, so they can be prevented from entering the agricultural lands in search of water. "Due to the presence of illegal resorts in areas like Ayyanar Kovil near Rajapalayam, the animals in the forest area get scared and invade agricultural lands. Measures have to be taken to evict the resorts," he said.