Electrocution Taking Heavy Toll of Farmers in Three Districts
Adilabad: Farmers are increasingly falling prey to electrocution by frequently coming into contact with live electric wires put up by poachers to kill wildlife in the erstwhile Adilabad, Warangal and Khammam districts area. At other times, some farmers electrify fences to guard their crops.
Three persons have been electrocuted in the last 15 days in the three districts. At times, even animals, including tigers, fall prey to these live electric wires.
Venkat Anagandula, coordination officer of the erstwhile Adilabad district of wildlife conservation society (WCS,) said they have been tracking incidents of humans and animals dying of electrocution.
He said that they have recorded such incidents in which above 60 persons and animals died in the last 10 years while many such incidents were buried with the local political or community leaders to avoid punishment and did not see the light.
Shocking facts:
Many humans and tigers have been killed by live electric wires in the forests and in fields near villagers in the undivided Adilabad, Warangal and Khammam districts area.
In some incidents, farmers erect live electric wires to protect their crops from wildlife.
In others, poachers put up electrified traps to kill wild animals.
Four deaths in three weeks
Jan. 14: Kotnaik Bheemrao, 40, electrocuted by live wire put up by villagers targeting wild animals near Chapri village in Sirpur (U) mandal in the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
Jan. 10: Meenugu Sambaiah, 42, electrocuted by live electric wire put by poachers in Pegadapalli of Mulugu district.
Jan. 8: Farmer Samya Naik, 65, electrocuted while removing connection to the live electric wire in Kothacheruvu thanda in Nagarkurnool district.
Dec. 26, 2023: Man electrocuted when he came into contact with a live electric wire put up by poachers in Karepalli, Khammam district.
Tiger victims
2021: Farmers from Thatiguda of Tiryani mandal killed a tiger which had killed ten cows and bullocks. Incident came to light during investigation by forest officials into the seizure of a tiger skin in Maharashtra on April 2, 2023.
2020: Tiger aged three to four years trapped in snares installed in cotton fields to target wild boars in Indravelli mandal, Adilabad district.
2016: Mancherial forest officials exhume carcass of a tiger which was reportedly electrocuted by live electric wires put up by poachers in Pinnaram in Kotapalli mandal in December 2016.
2016: A tiger and a man electrocuted when they came into contact with a live electric wire in Maddiguda in Bejjur mandal.