Madikeri: Amid heavy rains, elephant attacks have been reported across several parts of the district, affecting daily lives of the people here. Elephants are reportedly entering the rural areas in herds and damaging plantations and vehicles.
The herd of tuskers are roaming across the forest and plantations in search of food. People have reported incidents where Elephants suddenly appear on main roads attacking vehicles. Devayya, a resident of Naladi village, whose auto rickshaw was parked near his house was mangled during the tusker movement at night.
In Cheyandane village, plantations of Harish and Sajan were damaged, the tusker herd reportedly destroyed coffee, coconut and betel nut plantations. According to locals, deforestation took place at a larger scale in the Cheyandane area.
In another such incident, the herd entered the banana plantations of Raghukumar of Attur Village in Suntikoppa, destroying the whole crop. The herd which had come in search of food completely razed the banana plantation.
Locals claimed that despite efforts from the forest department, elephants continue to destroy plantations. Elephants which disappear during the day reappear in the plantations during the night. Locals have also reported elephant sightings on the Suntikoppa, Anekadu, and Kushalnagar highways, forcing motorists to proceed with caution.
Meanwhile, Farmers have expressed concern that if the government does not implement a permanent plan to prevent elephant attacks, the agriculture sector in the district may suffer a significant blow. Additionally, they have also demanded that the forest minister and forest officials not just hold meetings but initiate action and understand the seriousness of the problem.
