Judges' panel inspects works to curb elephant intrusions in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: A committee comprising two Madras High Court Judges inspected areas abutting the forest cover in Coimbatore on Friday regarding the installation of a steep wire rope fence to mitigate human-elephant conflict.

Judges N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy, along with amici curiae and Special Government Pleader, were on a two-day inspection to Coimbatore. They visited Devarayapuram and Kuppepalayam areas near Thondamuthur.

Officials of the forest department explained to them the ongoing rope fence works to mitigate intrusions. The farmers, who had gathered in the spot, claimed that they faced huge losses due to damage caused by wild elephant intrusions. They also urged the committee to take concrete efforts to prevent elephants from ruining their source of livelihood.

“We insisted that the committee of judges allow the forest department to proceed with erecting the modern fence to prevent elephant intrusions. Also, along the trenches, fencing should be done with railings similar to Karnataka. A permanent solution should be found to mitigate conflicts,” said farmers.

The committee also visited a private school and Kallar Horticulture Farm on Mettupalayam-Ooty Road, and the forest college on Mettupalayam-Kotagiri Road to find out if there were any encroachments on the migratory pathway of elephants.

They later directed the forest department to close a trench on the elephant pathway and raise the compound wall of a school to prevent the intrusion of wild animals.