More trenching to stop jumbos straying in

Forest Dept proposes to add 314 km of trenches to the existing 750 km

The department will also be taking up solar fencing works in 468 km alongside the trenches, under its Rs 5.5-crore programme - Project Elephant and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management Programme (CAMPA).

According to Dr M H Swaminath, Additional PCCF, digging of trenches will be taken up on priority, especially in areas where elephants tended to stray outside the protected areas.
Under Mysore division

He said the work would be started in Bandipur, Kodagu and Hunsur coming under the Mysore division, shortly.

The trenches would be two metre wide on top and 1.5 metre wide at the bottom, while the depth will be two metre.

Elephant prevention project for a length of about 150 km will be taken up this year and next year, where the department would spend around  Rs 1.5 lakh per kilometre.

Swaminath said that for the solar power fencing, the Forest department would require
Rs 1.8 lakh per kilometre.