Speaking to media persons after visiting elephant-prone areas and places of damage, he promised to write to the Union Government seeking permission to catch 25 rogue elephants from the region. Already, the department has got permission to catch two elephants which will be done next week after arrival of tranquilliser.
He said that the coffee estates have became temporary homes for jumbo elephants from where they attack human beings and raid fields. Naturally, farmers fear to go to fields and estates for work. Need of the hour was to shift all those rogue elephants to other forests, he added.
When members of Malenadu Horata Samithi pointed out that establishment of a number of minor hydel power projects in dense forests of the Western Ghats have affected carefree lifestyle of jumbos, Singh admitted that those power projects have aggravated the problem. The forest department is not in a position to do anything since those projects are cleared by the government. A three-member committee conducted a survey in January 25 as per directions of the Supreme Court.
MLA H K Kumaraswamy said that people of this region are living under constant fear because of wild jumbos. The pachyderms come near backyard of houses in rural areas. The wild jumbos are damaging coffee, cardamom, banana plants, paddy and other crops. This situation calls for a permanent solution, he added.
Chief Conservator of Forests Ajay Mishra, Conservator of Forests Keshvamurthy, ACF Shivaiah, RFO Ratnaprabha, RFO O Satishchandra, Karnataka State Planters Association President Dr N K Pradeep and Hassan District Planters Association Uday were present.
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