Madikeri: Farmers in Kodagu district blocked State Highway 90 at Thithimathi on Wednesday, protesting against the escalating human-wildlife conflict in the region. Led by Kadyamada Manu Somaiah, president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha's district unit, hundreds of farmers voiced their anguish against the forest department and demanded immediate intervention from local representatives.
Protest Turns Heated
The agitated farmers threatened to set the Thithimathi range forest office on fire, prompting police to erect barricades to prevent the protesters from entering the premises. Undeterred, the farmers sat on the road, shouting slogans against the forest department and demanding the presence of the MLA, MP, and senior forest officials to provide a permanent solution to the wildlife conflict. They alleged that lives were being lost in Kodagu due to the negligence of senior forest officials.
Officials Respond
Virajpet MLA AS Ponnanna visited the protest site and assured the agitators that several measures are being planned to curb wildlife conflict in the district. "I am also saddened by the deaths and injuries caused by human-elephant conflict in the district. Many steps have been taken in the last three years to prevent conflict," he said, promising to bring the forest minister to the district after the cabinet reshuffle. Mysore MP Yaduveer Wadiyar also met the protesters and assured them that he would draw the central government's attention to the issue.
Traffic Disrupted
The protest continued until noon, causing significant disruption to traffic on the Mysuru-Thithimathi Road. Several leaders from various organizations addressed the protesters, expressing dissatisfaction with the functioning of the forest department. The farmers remained firm in their demand for a permanent resolution to the wildlife conflict that has plagued the region.
