RAMANATHAPURAM: Despite flagging the menace of animal intrusion during the grievance redressal meetings every month, the issue continues to remain unresolved in Thiruvadanai and Paramakudi, alleged the farmers of the region. Though the forest department has installed trap cameras on the migratory paths to map the movement of deer and wild boars in Ramanathapuram, the farmers demanded a permanent fix to the menace.
While there are no reserve forests in the interior parts of the district, vast areas of Seemai Karuvelam trees and pastures in the region house various wildlife species, especially spotted deer and wild boars. However, it may be noted that as these urban forest areas are situated close to farmlands, animal intrusion and crop damages are frequent in Paramakudi and Thiruvadanai.
"Over the years I have submitted as many as 45 petitions to various officials and politicos decrying animal intrusion and crops damage, yet the issue remains unresolved," said NS Baskara Padmanabhan, a farmer from Paramakudi. He added that recently about 3.5 acres of his paddy fields were ravaged by a pack of deer. Though I had spent nearly a lakh for restoration, the compensation provided by the forest department was much less, leaving me in financial crisis, Padmanabhan said.
"Each time when we complain about the animal intrusion, the forest department does not take any permanent preventive measures. Instead, they just placed cameras in our fields. Further, the process of procuring compensation from the forest department is also troublesome," he added.
Speaking to TNIE, MSK Bakkiyanathan, President of TN Vaigai Irrigation Farmers Association, said the areas with Seemai Karuvelam trees house wild boars and deer, and they are the major cause of animal intrusion. "The government should take measures to remove these trees and convert such empty lands into cultivatable ones," he said, and urged the forest department to conduct proper census of the wildlife species spotted in the interiors parts of the district.
When contacted, Hemalatha, district forest official from Ramanathapuram, said, "Following information about crop damage due to animal intrusion, the forest department has been initiating compensation for the farmers without any delay. Since the area is an urban forest region, the forest department has placed trap cameras across several points in Paramakudi and Thiruvadanai and others to map the movement of deer and wild boars. Action is being taken to prevent animal intrusion." She also pointed out that the deer species are protected under the Wildlife Act, and advised people not to harm it.