Persistent wildlife attacks and crop raiding continue to threaten residents of eastern parts of Kollam with many panchayats reporting multiple incidents in the last couple of weeks.
Forest fringes in Achencoil, Pathanapuram, Kulathupuzha, Thenmala, and Arayankavu are most affected and the farmers say they are losing more than 50% of their crops due to animal incursions. While elephants herds have been been entering and destroying crops in many parts of Pathanapuram, their presence in the area has made everyday life extremely difficult for women and children.
“The extent of crop damage is huge, as they went on a rampage in our neighbourhood. The compensation from the Forest department can hardly cover our loss,” said a resident. They add that all measures including fencing and the intervention of rapid response team have failed to help them.
“A large number of banana trees were trampled and we were unable to protect the crop. Apart from elephants, monkeys, wild boars, and giant squirrels also cause serious damage to our crop. Despite repeated appeals, our plight continues,” they say.
According to the residents of Aryankavu panchayat, there has been no respite from wild animal incursions of late. In March, an estate worker from Arandal was seriously injured in an elephant attack and the department had constituted a special task force to bring down human-animal conflict around Amanband estate in Thenmala.
“Wild animals entering human settlements were very rare in the past, but the encounters have become very frequent,” says Kashi, a plantation worker. Farmers in Thenmala say that crop raids and animal attacks are now spreading to areas that are considerably far from the forest borders. “The situation is going from bad to worse as the animals are wrecking havoc in some wards. It’s no secret that the quick fixes of the Department are not working,” says Narayanan, a resident.
