Elephant scare forces officials to clear stocks in Valparai PDS shops

COIMBATORE:  As per the advice of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) officials, the civil supplies department is keeping less stock of rice and pulses at ration shops in and around Valparai. This is being done in the wake of past incidents where elephants targeted ration shops and consumed the stock.

According to civil supplies department sources, staff working in ration shops in Thaimudi estate, Muthumudi, Karumalai, Pahcamalai and Villoni estates are clearing stock by distributing them to beneficiaries within two to three days of receiving it instead of holding it for later use. Shops functioning in other areas are expected to follow suit.

A senior civil supply official told TNIE that unlike last year they have asked staff in vulnerable areas to clear stock within three days and distribution will be done through vans.

“This was one of the points we discussed at the meeting held in October with stakeholders to mitigate human-elephant conflict in the ongoing elephant migration period. We are also engaging our staff to prevent wild elephants from reaching ration shops, residential quarters and tea estates whenever workers are engaged in plucking tea leaves at night since the movement of wild elephants has increased in the last one month. We expect elephant movement to continue till February and will try to prevent human/animal deaths,” said A Manikandan, Forest Range Officer Manombolly forest.

The official added that instead of using crackers, the anti-depredation squad and anti-poaching watchers divert the animals by beating steel drums.

Till October 5, during the 108 elephant intrusions into human habitation in Valparai, elephants targeted the ration shop at Thaimudi estate more than 10 times in the last year. As of Monday, between 40 and 50 wild elephants in various groups used the Valparai forest fragmentation and the number is expected to reach 120 in the second week of January as elephants would start migrating across ATR and Kerala, etc.