District Collector Narayana Bharat Gupta observed that in view of the unabated crop raids by the wild elephants in the western mandals, the farmers could think of avoiding jumbo-friendly crops such as sugarcane and paddy and replacing them with mulberry and other alternative crops.

Addressing a meeting with the forest, agriculture and power department officials here on Sunday, the Collector said that steps would be initiated to enhance the compensation to the crop losses, arrange solar fencing and elephant-proof trenches at the vulnerable villages and fields abutting the forests of Koundinya sanctuary and the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Man-animal conflict

Mr. Gupta mooted the idea of extending compensation to the farmers when the farm equipment such as pipelines, motors and drip systems was damaged in jumbo raids. He observed that the farmers could also be provided with solar fencing equipment on subsidy, so as to make their involvement active in arresting the man-animal conflict.

Joint Director (Agriculture) N. Vijay Kumar brought to the notice of the Collector that awareness camps would be conducted to rope in farmers to avoid jumbo-friendly crops and replace the pattern with crops such as mulberry and other commercial varieties. He said the issue would be addressed with the officials concerned, apart from aspects of enhancing the crop loss compensation and subsidy to farmers to have solar fencing around the fields abutting forest areas.

The forest officials informed the Collector that in a span of one year, as many as seven wild elephants had perished, while electrocution in fields formed one of the major causes for jumbo casualties. In recent months, the incidence of crop losses due to elephant raids was on the rise in Bangarupalem, Yadamarri and Palamaner mandals. In addition to the 10 resident elephants of the Koundinya sanctuary belt, a herd of about 15 elephants from Tamil Nadu had emerged into the western mandals of Chittoor, resulting in more crop damage. The officials said that trenches or fencing was required in the sanctuary belt to the tune of 100 kilometres.

Mr. Gupta sought the officials to prepare the estimates for the fencing and trench works so that an early solution could be found for the man-animal conflict.

The electricity department officials were instructed to erect transformers at considerable heights and avoid overhanging of power lines over the fields, in order to avoid the possibility of elephants getting electrocuted.