Tens of elephants from the Beilikallu Betta in Bannerghatta forest range had come to drink in the Ningegowda lake near Hindu village. They entered the three-acre paddy field belonging to farmer Venkatesh and other nearby farms and destroyed paddy crop by stamping on them.
As Harohalli and Maralavadi hoblis adjoin the Bannerghatta forest range, the wild elephants come in herds frequently and destroy the crops ready for harvesting. Farmer say their requests to the Forest Department to measures to prevent elephants from entering farms have been ignored.
“In such circumstances, it is very difficult to carry out farming activities. We have a labour shortage here. With great difficulty we managed to get workers, but now the elephants are destroying the crops,” said Venkatesh, a farmer.
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