Forest dept. to reduce man-animal conflict
The forest department in Coimbatore district is initiating a series of measures to mitigate man-animal conflicts in the fringe areas of the reserve forests during the coming summer beginning from end of January 2008.The measures include provision of solar fencing in man-animal conflict-prone pockets, deployment of anti-depredation squads, installation of high power search lights to scare away pachyderms and habitat improvement programmes in the reserve forests.Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle, R. Kannan and District Forest Officer I. Anwardeen have launched these measures and are expediting them in all the six ranges with enhanced focus on frequent man-animal conflict areas.Mr. Anwardeen told The Hindu that already 30-km area had been provided with solar fencing and another 12 km from CRPF campus to Chinnathadagam was being provided with solar fencing at an outlay of Rs 19.2 lakh.In the first phase, the department proposes to increase the solar fencing cover to 61 km in a phased manner and District Collector Neeraj Mittal has also requested the State Government to speed up the solar fencing work. The farmers were being trained to maintain these solar fences.
As part of the habitat improvement programme to provide water and food for the pachyderms to prevent their straying into human habitations, a water facility is being created at Ponnuthamman koil in Periyanaickenpalayam.As many as 25 high power search lights have been provided to farmers and tribals in settlements at a cost of Rs 1.5 lakh to scare away the straying elephants.Twenty four tribals have been employed as anti-depredation staff and six squads have been positioned at Chinnathadagam, Narasipuram, Mangarai, Mulli-Velliangadu, Ansur and Sirumugai to monitor movement of the elephants and provide advance information for preventive measures.
The State has allocated Rs. 36 lakh as compensation for crop damage and 21 farmers have been provided with Rs. 2.85 lakh.The farmers are being sensitised to the need for changing the cropping pattern along the fringe areas of the forest avoiding banana, sugarcane and maize. The report submitted by ATREE of Bangalore on the management of Kallar elephant corridor is being considered to ensure smooth passage for elephants.
