Farmers block road seeking curbs on elephant intrusion into farms

Thondamuthur farmers blocked Siruvani Road, demanding action on wild elephant intrusions damaging crops. They criticized delays in forest officials' response. Increased patrols and resources aim to prevent further incursions due to drought and crop attraction.

Locals from Karadimadai and nearby villages staged a road protest on Siruvani Road at Madampatti, urging the forest department to curb frequent wild elephant intrusions. They noted a recent surge in elephant activity. Express

COIMBATORE: Farmers from villages in Thondamuthur Block blocked the Siruvani Road at Mathampatti Junction, demanding curbs on intrusion of wild elephants into farmlands.

More than 300 farmers from Karadimadai, Kuppanur and Theethipalayam gathered at Mathampatti Junction on Friday morning and staged the ‘road roko’ protest.

They claimed that there were frequent intrusions for the past few days in the locality. “Two elephant herds consisting of around 13 elephants have been intruding into the villages every night for the last two weeks. Crop damage by the herds are on the rise.

Farmers are facing unbearable economic loss. Despite alerting the forest department, its personnel reach late at places where elephants enter,” said R Periyasamy, a farmer from Theethipalayam.

“Personnel on patrol duty came on two-wheelers for the last few days as a forest patrol vehicle at the Madukkarai Range developed a technical snag. This delayed the chasing of wild elephants from farms. On Thursday night a few farmers from Kuppanur questioned the forest personnel and this led to a quarrel,” he added.

P Perumalsami, another farmer from Theethipalayam, said that ridge gourd cultivated on his farm was damaged by the elephant herds on two consecutive days. The farmers’ protest lasted for more than two hours at Mathampatti. They called off the protest after talks with officials from the police and the forest department personnel at the Madukkarai Range.
The protesters sought an increase in patrol to prevent intrusion of wild elephants.

N Jayaraj, District Forest Officer, Coimbatore, said, “Around 11 wild elephants have been roaming in the range for a few days. To prevent them entering farms situated on the forest boundary, three patrolling vehicles and additional personnel were sent for surveillance and preventive measures. Also, 150 torch lights were provided to them.”

Drought-like situation in the forest and the attraction of crops are behind the increasing foray of wild elephants into farms. The department has set up at least three artificial solar water storage facilities in each range to provide water for wild animals in the summer, the DFO added.