Several paddy growers in Siddapura have left their fields barren fed up with the wild elephants' menace.
A herd of wild elephants have been destroying the crops, leading to huge losses to the farmers, in Siddapura, Karadigodu, Ammatti, Hosuru and Nellyahudikeri for the last few years.
The farmers are growing paddy in these areas for many generations. The elephant herds camp in the coffee plantation during the daytime and stray into the paddy fields at night and destroy the crops.
While many farmers have left the fields barren, some others have discontinued paddy and have started cultivating ginger and arecanuts. Several paddy fields have been converted into coffee and pepper plantations as well.
Even though the forest department personnel drive the elephants back into the forests, the pachyderms return after a few days.
Some farmers have built scaffolding in their fields where one can stay at night, keeping an eye on the crops and scare away the elephants when they stray into the fields.
With the installation of railway barricade from Baradi to Dubare, the elephant menace might come under control, opined C U Ganesh, a farmer from Guhya village. He said that laying the trenches had no effect on the elephants. He has left his paddy field uncultivated for the past three years.
Another farmer from the village, M S Venkatesh said that he had not transplanted paddy during the last two years. However, he carried out the cultivation this year. But, a herd of six wild elephants destroyed the crop. It is a challenge to save the paddy crop from elephants till the harvest is completed. If the elephant menace continues, the traditional paddy farming may come to an end in the region, he added.