The Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam submitted a petition to the district forest officer (DFO) in Coimbatore on Monday, demanding immediate measures to curb damage caused by wild elephants, particularly a tusker known as Bahubali, in Mettupalayam. The association also raised concerns about alleged interference by activists and its negative impact on their efforts.
Farmers' grievances
The farmers' group expressed frustration over repeated crop raids and property destruction in the Mettupalayam and Sirumugai forest ranges. They stated that the presence of elephants has instilled fear among farmers and hindered their ability to safeguard their livelihoods.
"We have been grappling with this issue for a long time. When a wild elephant enters our farmland, we attempt to drive it back into the forest. However, individuals claiming to be animal activists or NGO members intervene, record videos, and share them on social media. They obstruct relocation efforts and profit from the conflict while farmers suffer," said T Venugopal, state president of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam.
Demands and allegations
Venugopal urged forest officials in Coimbatore to deploy drones for monitoring elephant movements and guiding the animals back into the forest. The petition also called for an investigation into activists who are allegedly exploiting the elephant issue for financial gain. It further claimed that some individuals are misusing the Wildlife Protection Act against farmers and submitting false petitions to the forest department.
Forest department response
Coimbatore district forest officer N Vengadesh Prabhu said, "We are planning to bring a permanent solution to the elephant issue. Similarly, the farmers' complaints about activists will also be addressed. We are working to reduce the gap between the forest department and farmers and eliminate middlemen."
