Elephant menace: Minister to visit affected areas

Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara on Monday said he along with team of department officials will visit areas and people affected by elephant menace in Kodagu district soon after the ongoing Legislative session.

While answering to the Man-Elephant conflict issue in Kodagu, raised by JD(S) leader MC Nanaiah through a calling attention motion in the Legislative Council, Yogeeshwara said he will have a detailed discussion with local elected representatives and experts in Kodagu to arrive at a permanent solution to the problem. “Man-Elephant conflict differs for each region and there is a need to evolve region specific solutions,” he said.

Earlier Nanaiah took objection to the written answer from the Government over the issue and said some officials in Forest department are misleading the minister and the Government regarding the ground level problems on elephant menace in Kodagu and other places. “Elephants are posing major threat to lives and crops in various places in Kodagu.

If Government doesn’t arrive at immediate solution to the problem in 15 days, we the people of Kodagu has take law in our hands and shoot elephants to save ourselves,” he said.

Nanaiah also took exception of Minster’s statement that there is competition for forage between cattle and elephants. “Minister should have basic idea of what a elephant eats and on what food cattle are depending on,” he said.

He also said Government is portraying farmers themselves as reason for elephant menace and statements like they are growing crops which attract elephants to fields are baseless.

During a debate which went on for more than an hour, JD(S) leader further said strengthening the solar fence around forest border and digging enough elephant trenches will go a long way in tackling the problem.