Vegetables and food waste dumped on the side of the Sirumugai – Mettupalayam Road in Coimbatore district has worsened negative interactions between humans and wild elephants in the region.
Residents from the locality claimed that there was an increase in the movement of wild elephants that come to the road to feed on vegetable and food waste. Though no accidents have been reported so far, the unpredictable movement of elephants on the road was causing traffic blocks and fear among the people, they said.
According to locals, many wild elephants are camping on the vast premises of the South India Viscose (SIV) factory that shut down operations in 2001.
“Elephants emerge from the factory land, which largely comprises bushes and Seemai karuvelam, to the road unexpectedly. They stay on the roadside to feed on food waste, if available, or move to agricultural lands,” said a resident of Sirumugai.
On Sunday morning, a tusker which came to the road near SIV bus stop looking for food waste, stood firm at the place for nearly an hour. The elephant also chased people and Forest Department staff who tried to drive it to the forest.
Another resident wanted the Sirumugai town panchayat to ensure that waste that attracts elephants is not dumped on the roadside to avoid elephants getting habituated to eating such items. As the elephants make unexpected visits to the road, motorists were in fear of having encounters with wild elephants. Recently, a school student fell on the road when she tried to run away from an elephant that crossed the road all of a sudden, he added.
The Forest Department claimed that it had already informed the Sirumugai town panchayat to take appropriate steps to prevent the dumping of food and vegetable waste that attract wild elephants. Sirumugai forest range officer D. Senthil Kumar said the frontline staff are constantly monitoring places where elephants stray into the road and drive them back to forest.
An official from Sirumugai town panchayat said the local body is doing door-to-door collection of waste. “Instances of farmers dumping vegetables like tomatoes due to low prices have been reported. Efforts will be taken to curb the practice,” the official said.
