Villagers demand permanent solution to elephant menace

Following an increase in elephant menace at Mundaje, Dumbettu in Belthangady taluk, senior officials from the forest department and Nagarahole visited the spot.

Villagers had said that herds of elephants had marched close to their houses.

“There is a need to check the elephant menace,” villagers stated in a memorandum submitted to Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Dr Y Dinesh Kumar.

Accordingly, experts from Nagarahole were summoned to find a solution to the elephant menace.

Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Dr Dinesh said drone cameras will be used to keep track of the movements of elephants.

The department will provide all required equipment, vehicles and other assistance to drive the elephants back to the forest, he said.

After a youth, Guruprasad was injured by a wild elephant at Kollamogru on Sunday, the officials visited the family members and promised to bear the medical expenses of the injured.

The locals demanded a permanent solution to the elephant menace in and around Kollamogru.

RFO Raghavendra called upon farmers to submit applications and claim compensation for crop loss.

He said that a subsidy will be provided by the government for installing solar fences around the farmland.

“A proposal will be submitted to the government seeking funds for laying trenches on the periphery of the forest,” he added.