Foresters plan steps to address elephant menace, seeks Rs 40 crore funding

Vijayawada: To curb the menace of elephants from the wild eating away crops and destroying the properties of villagers, the forest authorities have come up with an action plan. They propose to erect fences and set up barricades around the 300-hectare reserve forest area at a cost of Rs 40 crore in Parvathipuram-Manyam district.

A herd of seven elephants including a male has been a worry to the local villagers and to the foresters in the last two years. They are eating away standing crops like wheat, vegetables, bananas etc, damaging the paddy fields and destroying the personal properties of local villagers.

The problem is recurring every time the herd of elephants starts moving to the fringe villages of the reserve forest area for feed. The forest authorities deal with them carefully by not tranquillizing or trans-locating them as there are two elephant calves aged a year in the herd.

The forest authorities intend to dig a trench measuring three metres in depth and a width of around 300 hectares of reserve forest area to serve as fencing. They also plan to set up poles similar to railway sleepers to serve as an enclosure, so that the elephants will be confined within the enclosure, with no chance for them to stray into the neighbouring villages, where human habitations and crops exist. They also plan to ensure proper food and water are available to the herd in the enclosure.

The authorities have estimated the quantum of compensation for the affected farmers or villagers to the extent of `30 lakh for the last two years.

The Parvathipuram-Manyam district forest officer GAP Prasuna said, “We have submitted the proposals to the higher-ups for the fencing and barricading of around 300 hectares area at a cost of Rs 40 crore and also for compensation to the affected farmers and others. Once we get the requisite clearance and sanction of funds, we will start working on these to help avoid this problem on a permanent basis.”