Mysuru:  Forest officials, present at the District-level Farmers Meeting held on Monday at the ZP auditorium, were taken into task by the representatives of various Farmer Associations who accused the officials of causing unnecessary trouble for wild animal deaths in their agricultural lands.

Farmers, who demanded the officials to control the intrusion of wild animals into agricultural lands, expressed their anguish over the increase in number of man-animal conflict cases being reported from villages bordering Bandipur and Nagarahole Forest Reserves. 

Expressing concerns over the farmers’ plight near Omkar Forest Range, they said farmers, who were already suffering due to insufficient rainfall, had to now deal with the havoc caused by elephants which come in herds and destroy the crops. 

The farmers also demanded to increase the relief package stating that the current relief amount by the Forest Department is not sufficient to meet the daily needs of their families.

Stating that it is Forest Department’s responsibility to provide sufficient fodder and water to the wild animals in the forests, the farmers said that if any wild animals die in their agricultural lands, the Forest Officials are filing cases against the farmers and thereby forcing the farming community leave their villages.

Reacting to the farmers’ allegations, Bandipur Project Tiger Director T. Balachandra said that apart from installing railway barricades at places where the elephant menace have increased, trenches have also been dug in the borders of Omkar Forest Range to prevent the elephants from entering into the villages. 

“Incidents of elephants crossing the railway barricades and causing damages at the agricultural lands have also been reported despite taking preventive measures. Now, to step-up the preventive measures, the Forest Department has decided to install a 15-km railway barricade and also to construct an 18-km trench near the Bole Gowdana Katte,” he said. 

Adding that a proposal to increase the relief amount to the farmers has already been submitted to the State Government, Balachandra said that out of Rs.67 lakh relief amount the State Government has already released Rs.30 lakh out of which Rs.23 lakh has been distributed to the farmers.

“Bandipur forest has about 150 tiger population, 1,600 elephants, more than 25,000 deers and sambars. The forest area has been installed with solar borewells to provide sufficient water to the wild animals. This year, the lakes are full as there has been sufficient rainfall in the forest and also there shall not be shortage of fodder for the elephants as bamboo has grown in abundance,” he said.