Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Cauvery sanctuary a solution to man-animal conflict?

By D. Sivarajan

Dharmapuri Dec. 26. Drought conditions in Dharmapuri have extended even to forest areas and elephants and leopards have been straying into human habitats in search of food and water. A few days ago, an elephant herd, which strayed into a sugarcane field at Palacodu, trampled a 60-year-old man to death. At Pochampalli, a leopard attacked four persons, including two children, and escaped.

Though man-animal conflicts are not new to the district, which has 3.67 lakh hectares of forest cover, constituting nearly 40 per cent of its geographical area, the frequency has increased over the past few years.

The expansion of agricultural areas nearer to or into the forests has also contributed to the elephants straying. The shrinking elephant corridor, which the animals used for decades, has resulted in their moving into human habitats.

The damage caused by elephants, both to human lives and crops, has been on the rise. The annual crop damage alone is put at over Rs.20 lakhs. Despite recurring losses, no steps were taken. Numerous applications seeking compensation are pending disposal.

To contain the man-elephant conflict and to protect elephants, a sanctuary along the Cauvery from Hogenakkal to Thally was mooted long ago. Many announcements were made by successive State Governments. But `Cauvery Elephant Sanctuary', covering nearly 900 sq km, is yet to take shape. The proposal is yet to get clearance from the Centre.

According to Forest department sources, an amendment to the Indian Forest Act was required to accommodate the proposal. It is also being pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Government, instead of waiting for the amendment, could ask the District Collector to issue a notification and seek objections, if any, from villages around the proposed sanctuary area. Official sources claim that with the proposed area coming under the reserve forest area, there was no danger of displacement of villagers or settlements.

The project would provide for a Sanctuary Development Fund, to create waterholes and other facilities. The creation of a zone for eco-tourism and an eco-development plan to improve villages around the sanctuary is also possible.

Instances of man-elephant conflict could be reduced also by installing solar fencing, which would deter the herds from straying.

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