Discontent is brewing among farmers living on the fringes of forests in Wayanad over the alleged apathy of the government in executing effective projects to mitigate man-animal conflict.
Crop raids and attacks by wild animals such as elephant, gaur, monkey, and various species of deer has increased considerably in the district, said T.C. Joseph, chairman, Wayanad Action Committee to Prevent Wildlife Attack, a farmer organisation. Though all animals raid crops, elephants alone raid crops on the fringes of the forest after destroying the power fencing, he added.
Though the three lone tuskers in the Begur forest range under the North Wayanad Forest Division have been posing serious threat to the farming community in Thirunelly grama panchayat, the authorities are yet to take steps to address the issue, he said.
Straying elephants not only destroy crops but also attack people, Mr. Joseph said, adding that as many as 84 persons had been killed in animal attacks in 41 years.
One of the tuskers attempted to charge at a farmer at Randam gate at Kattikulam a few days ago, and he escaped narrowly from the attack .Another elephant destroyed a tree house of the Forest Department, he said. Demand is rife to translocate the animals to the Muthanga elephant camp after tranquilising them.
The case of farmers on the fringes of the forest in the Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary and the South Wayanad Forest Division is not different. Farmers in the Vadakkanad area under the sanctuary staged an indefinite agitation in front of the office of the warden at Sulthan Bathery three years ago. The government had promised that a ₹2.5-crore project would be executed to set up a Mankulam-model crash guard rope fencing on the 4.5-km stretch on the fringes of forest to address the issue. Farmers are now planning to resume the agitation as the government has failed to keep its promise.
Though successive governments had been implementing measures such as digging of trenches, erection of power fencing, rail fencing, and construction of rock walls on the fringes of forests in the district, the issue has not been tackled yet.
The most effective measure was the setting up of a crash guard rope fencing as it could prevent the entry of wild animals such as tiger, elephant, gaur, and various species of deer to the nearby property of farmers to a certain extent, said Mr. Joseph. Moreover, the fencing was also cost-effective, he added.
