Discuss wild elephant menace in Assembly, says ZP chief

Grow banana, bamboo, jackfruit in forest

Speaking at a meeting on wild elephant menace in Madikeri on Tuesday, he said the wild elephant menace is not restricted to Kodagu alone. There are 40 MLAs and nine MPs whose constituencies have been affected with the wild elephant menace in the state.

He said “we will appeal the Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah to earmark a day for a discussion on wild elephant menace in the Assembly. The MPs of this part of the region should pressurise the union government to take measure and give nod to capture the rogue elephants.”

There is a need to hold elephant census to find out exact number of elephants.
He directed the forest officials to take temporary measures to check elephant menace.

Solar fence should be laid. Trenches should be constructed in the district.

The department should also take measures to grow banana, jackfruit, bamboo inside the forest to provide food for the elephants.

District Kannada Sahithya Parishat President T P Ramesh said the officials alone can not put an end to the elephant menace.

A delegation from the district should meet the state and the central ministers to make them understand the intensity of the menace.

‘Inform us’

Kodagu district Conservator of Forest Millo Tyago said “I am from Arunachal Pradesh. I recently took charge in Kodagu. The elephant-humanbeing strife is rare in Arunachal Pradesh. I will take measure to check the menace. I want the cooperation from the people and the officials.”

He said ‘if public find any wild elephant in their village, then they can dial 9449035708 and inform me.”

Compensation

Zilla Panchayat member S N Raja Rao said “those who were killed by elephants in Mysore were given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. The government has given Rs 3.5 lakh as compensation to those families whose members have been killed in Kodagu.” Madikeri zonal DCF Anand said “there is no partiality in paying the compensation. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh in the state.”

“A proposal of Rs 188 lakh was sent to the state government to lay solar fence and to construct trenches to check wild elephant menace. With the effort of K G Bopaiah, the government has approved the proposal.”

‘Where should I go?’

Maneyapanda Chondamma Madamma said “our plantations have been destroyed. If you are not able to chase elephants to the forest, tell us. We have guns and give us permission to shoot elephants. We will only send them back to the forest.”

“The elephants may attack us from any side. We lead our lives in fear. My husband has already been injured in elephant attack. I am scared over the safety of my kids who go to school daily,” she said.

The Conservator of forest said that “I did not know the intensity of the problem. I will visit the region on Wednesday.” In charge Deputy Commissioner K M Chandre Gowda, Zilla Panchayat N Krishnappa, Vice-President H M Kaveri were present.