Farmers ask Forest Dept. to stop kumki operations and capture wild elephants

Plan to raise demand at grievances redress meeting today

The compound wall of the Government High School at Pannimadai which was damaged by wild elephants on Thursday.

With no respite from wild elephants that are entering villages in Thadagam valley, farmers have sought the Forest Department to halt kumki operations and capture the elephants that are causing trouble.

The agitated farmers will raise their demand with the District Collector at the grievances redress meeting for farmers on Friday.

“We had assurance from the District Collector that the elephant menace would be resolved by November 25. However, the damages caused by the wild elephants are continuing. The Forest Department officials are not disclosing the plan of action to us and we are uncertain of the outcome,” said P. Kandasamy, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam. Mr. Kandasamy said the Collector also failed to keep his assurance of conducting a tripartite meeting

on November 30.

He added that the lethargic approach by the district administration and the Forest Department to the issue could be attributed to the least importance given to the protection of farmers and crops. Meanwhile, a herd of three elephants strayed into human habitations in Pannimadai and Kanuvai on Wednesday night and damaged the compound wall of the Government High School, Pannimadai.

“The herd came to the school premises around 3 a.m. and damaged a large portion of the wall before heading to a nearby area,” said an official from the Forest Department.

Frontline staff of the Forest Department, who were patrolling the locality, drove out the elephant herd before it entered residential areas.

According to sources in Thadagam valley, the five-member elephant herd that created tension at Periyanaickenpalayam a few days ago reportedly ventured into the same location on Thursday.