This will prevent pachyderms from straying into human habitations
The Forest Department is planning to go ahead with its ambitious project for raising fodder inside reserve forests in a bid to prevent pachyderms from straying in search of fodder and water during the ensuing summer season.
The southwest monsoon was not really appreciable and if the northeast monsoon were to pay truant, the department would go ahead with fodder reserve project at ten places in the reserve forests spread over 240 hectares.
The Department will go ahead with the project by arranging for manual watering of fodder seedlings and saplings using local water resources, District Forest Officer V. Thirunavukkarasu told The Hindu .
The arrangements were in final stages under the supervision of the Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle, V.T. Kandasamy.
The State Government, in a bid to mitigate human-animal conflict situation, sanctioned Rs. 1.3 crore for creating fodder reserves and waterholes in forest areas to quench the thirst and hunger of pachyderms and other animals.
In the absence of fodder and water the pachyderms tend to migrate and stray into human habitations, causing conflict situations.
Four of the waterhole-related works have been completed and the remaining three will be taken up now for which the tender process has been completed.
