JOIN US The main entrance gate and compound wall of Bhairaweshwara temple was damaged by the jumbos at Maragunda hills in Mudigere- Sakleshpur border region on same night.
The elephants destroyed crops such as coffee, banana, coconut, ginger, cardamom, arecanut in these places. When Range Forest Officer Rathnaprabha visited the affected villages to assess the damage for distribution of compensation and to submit a detailed report to government, the villagers took her to task for not finding a permanent solution for elephant menace.
The villagers charged the officials of district administration and political administrators of successive government for their failure to find permanent solution though several pleas, protest and memorandum submitted to them in the earlier days.
They told that wild elephants had destroyed property and standing crops in human habitat after straying out of forest in search of food and water.
They said deforestation activities such as implementation of hydel power projects in western ghats and other developmental works in the forest is the main reason for the wild animals to stray out of their habitats.
Villagers residing in western ghats living under constant fear of wild animals attack. Infact, several persons have died with wild animals attacking in the region from last few years.
The labourers are scared to work in coffee plantations and fields because of the threat of wild animals and elephants in the taluk. Besides, the compensation provided by the government is also meagre.
Meanwhile, Raitha Hitharakshana Samithi President Acchanahalli Sacchidev demanded the State government and elected representatives to find permanent solution for wild jumbo menace, and stop setting-up of hydel power projects in western ghats as it detrimental to the interests of flora and fauna of the region.