The State government has been taking steps to control man-animal conflict and has increased the green cover by planting over nine crore saplings across the State during the last five years, Forests Minister Dindigul C. Sreenivasan said in the Assembly on Thursday.
Replying a query by AIADMK member V.P.B. Paramasivam (Vedasandur) during Question Hour in the House, the Minister said the government has planted over nine crore saplings between 2011 and 2016 and took various measures to protect the wildlife in the State.
When Congress Legislative Party leader K.R. Ramasamy claimed that agriculture was affected and several human lives were at risk as wildlife strayed into human habitats and sought government action, the Minister said trenches were being dug to prevent elephants’ straying into farm lands and residential areas.
“Steps are taken to ensure that wildlife get sufficient fodder within the forests so that they do not stray into human habitats”, the Minister added.
