THE GOAN NETWORK
BELAGAVI
With the arrival of the harvest season elephant menace is rising in Khanapur taluka. A herd of about 6 to 7 elephants has been causing huge losses to farmers by entering the paddy and sugarcane fields. As part of the action Karnataka authorities have initiated a drive of driving the herds back into the forests bordering Khanapur taluka and Goa inside the periphery of Bhimgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
Irked by the menace, farmers and villagers who are afraid of the pachederms whether attacking villagers or damaging the crops, had urged forest authorities to banish the elephants back in the jungles. Voicing the woes of the farmers Khanapur MLA Vitthalrao Halgekar earlier this week had urged senior forest officials to initiate action. Deputy Chief Secretary of Karnataka Forest Department Manjunath Prasad has taken immediate notice of the demand and instructed the Khanapur forest officials to initiate action to relocate the tuskers.
However, as capturing and translocation of the elephants is not an easy task the forest department has decided to drive them into the dense forests. A team of 30 people under the leadership of forest ranger Srikant Patil is keeping a close eye on the movement of elephants.
Forest personnel has warned farmers not go to fields in the morning and late evening hours in areas where elephants roam. “No one should travel on farm paths at night. Farmers who have a house in the field should light a fire in front of the house. No one should chase the elephant using stones, firecrackers,” the forest officials have warned.
“A herd of about six to seven elephants has been roaming in the vicinity and we are now driving them back to the dense forests by using drums and sounds,” another forest official said.
According to some farmers after being driven back the elephants are likely to enter Goa forests via Bhimgarh periphery.
