As a first, now steel wire rope fences to control jumbos

Mysuru: The wild elephant menace became common now days. Most of therural areas of the state are witnessing human - elephant conflict now. Itis mainly owing to rise in elephant population having shortage of fodderin forest. Elephant menace is not just restricted to crop damage , it alsoclaims human lives in many areas. The villagers are staging protestagainst this menace urging forest department to check it.

The forest department dug up elephant proof trench to prevent entryof elephants in to human habitats. But wild elephants managed tocross that trenches by filling soil. The department erected solarfence beside border of the forest, but this too did not work. Cleverelephants are putting wooden poles on it, crossed fence.Then comes chilli rope fence but this also did not prevent giantsized animal. Then department unearthed solar fence that too didn'twork out.

Speaking to The Hans India, Virajpet coffee grower A S Ponnanna saidthat the forest department has failed to ensure access of fodder andwater to elephants in the forest, as a result of which the elephantsare straying into the human habitat, A vast tract of agricultural

crops has been damaged following the elephant attacks. The forestdepartment has not been suitably compensating the farmers who sufferedlosses, he added.

Then forest department then introduced railway barrier fence. Thedepartment bought old railway tracks and put up fence. But it is toocostly and even elephants managed to cross this fence. This costs Rs 1to 1.5 crores per kilometer.

Now forest officials haveerected steel wire rope fencing atVeeranahosalli forest range under Nagarahole wildlife sanctuary. Thisis first of its kind in state to prevent elephants from entering human habitats. The pillar weighs 1.5 tonnes and 13 feet height. Of the 13 feet , 5feet will be going inside ground. The Mysuru district minister S TSomashekar on Wednesday inspected the ongoing rope fence constructionwork. Forest officials said that due to shortage of railway tracks

the department iserecting steel rope fence as experimental basis.