Nine elephants in seven days. This is the tragic tally of poor jumbos which have met their gory end owing to the "shocking" means the villagers adopt to keep the creature at bay.
Man-animal clash proves disastrous in Mysore district
MYSORE: Nine elephants in seven days. This is the tragic tally of poor jumbos which have met their gory end owing to the "shocking" means the villagers adopt to keep the creature at bay in Mysore district alone.
What led to the 'massacre' of elephants is the electrified fencing with which the farmers protect their fields. While the government has made it mandatory to use only solar powered barbed wires, farmers often tap electricity illegally and allow high voltage to pass through the wires.
Basavarajappa, a farmer who has suffered huge losses after jumbos ate his standing last year says he is left with no choice. "I lost nearly 10 acres of sugarcane crops twice last year. Where will I get the finances from, if I continue to lose this way? Officials are doing nothing to protect our families. Elephants often stray close to human settlements in HD Kote. The compensation they pay for damage to crops is peanuts," he complains.
The man-elephant clash here is high because Mysore district figures prominently among areas where elephants are found in herds in their natural habitats. Forest department is empowered to capture only one elephant a year.
Thanks to the rich forest reserve in Nanjangud and HD Kote taluk and other areas, elephants are plenty in this region; the hilly terrain and good number of water bodies are conducive to their survival. But, the animals have a famous sweet-tooth and can't resist the temptation of sugarcane or sweet tuber. They smell the cane from kilometres away.
According to environmentalist Sanjay Gubbi, about 1500 - 2000 elephants are present in this belt. Nagarhole, which is close to Mysore has even been declared as 'elephant corridor' - a protected area for pachyderms.
Elephant trouble abounds in Hassan, Sakleshpur, Alur, Arkalgud, Chickmagalur, Heggada Devana (HD) Kote areas where forests abut cultivated fields. Government says these fields should be protected with solar powered barbed wires, which is never followed.
Forest department has paid close to one crore rupees in compensation to 15 people killed in the last five years. The department also pays for the damages caused to crops," a top official told DNA.
When the elephants get into a panic mode, they attack and uproot precious trees too. The forest department had to shell out Rs 90 lakhs for crops in the last five years in this district alone.
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