The State Government will speed up the ongoing forest fencing works in an effort to check the increasing man-animal conflict, particularly in the regions where elephants are straying into farmlands and destroying crops.
Minister for Forests C.P. Yogeshwar told presspersons here on Friday that the forest belt from Kodagu to Bandipur (nearly 300 km) has been fenced and works were on in the region between Anekal and Chamarajanagar. Land disputes were the primary reason for the delay in fencing works and the authorities were holing talks with the encroachers who were largely farmers or tribal people.
Meeting
Mr. Yogeshwar said a high-level meeting would be held in Bangalore on Saturday to revise the action plan to reduce the man-animal conflict. Several experts apart from forest officials and representatives of farmers from the affected regions would participate. Based on the views expressed at the meeting, the action plan would be finalised.
The Government had prepared a plan for erecting solar fences and digging elephant-proof trenches to curb elephant raids on agricultural fields.
Mr. Yogeshwar said there are nearly 25 wild elephants which regularly stray into farmlands in the Alur region of Hassan district. The State Government would seek the Union Governments permission to translocate them. Farmers of Hassan district have been complaining about elephant intrusions into their lands for over 30 years . The man-animal conflict along the Kodagu and Bandipur forests had substantially reduced following the completion of the fencing works.
Jamma Malai land
On the Jamma Malai lands in Kodagu , portions of which have been illegally sold to private parties although they belong to the Government, Mr. Yogeshwar said around 7,000 acres of the Jamma Malai lands were proposed to be taken over by the Government with the concurrence of the present occupants. The Government in return would pay them a compensation. In a recent directive, the Forest Department has asked the former Minister T. John to return over 460 acres of the Jamma Malai lands which are presently in his possession. The directions have been issued since the ownership papers produced by the former Minister are invalid given the fact that the lands in question cannot be sold. He said the Government was keen on enlisting the support of the private sector in the development and management of Bannerghatta park.
