Forest department, TANGEDCO join hands to curb illegal electrification of fences

In the last few months, electrocution claimed the lives of more elephants. In Coimbatore Forest Division (excluding Pollachi region) electrocution has claimed the lives of 10 jumbos. “It is more than the number of elephants poached in the region,” District Forest Officer (DFO) S Ramasubramanian said. 

An inter-department coordination meeting was held recently with an aim to put an end to such incidents. Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) of Coimbatore Forest Circle I Anwardeen, DFO of Coimbatore and senior officers from TANGEDCO participated. 

The officers and officials decided to conduct joint patrolling to check illegal electrification of fence by farmers. “While solar fencing is an easily available alternative, some farmers are directly electrifying the fence from their domestic and farm connections to protect the crops from the wild elephants,” the DFO said. 

“Anti-poaching watchers and field level forest staff will be involved in patrolling with the ex-servicemen in TANGEDCO – who are engaged to check on electricity theft,” Ramasubramanian added. The Forest department has already identified eight vulnerable pockets in the division – including Sirumugai, Mettupalayam, Madukkarai, Anaikatti and Thadagam – based on recent incidents of elephant electrocutions. 

“The task (joint patrolling) is not going to be easy as we would have to check agricultural lands for about 500 meters for a stretch of 200 km close to the forest boundary. But this task is achievable,” the DFO expressed hope. In the meeting, it had been decided that the forest department would give a daily advisory note to the TANGEDCO officials on elephant movements and presence. A hotspot map of vulnerable areas and cropping pattern would be shared to step up monitoring of crops nearing harvest in the fringe areas, the DFO added.  

“We will also jointly sensitise the farmers on the need to avoid illegal electrification of fences. We will publicise other alternative methods of protecting their crop,” the senior officer said.  A consultative meeting with district administration and police has been on the cards to curb illegal electrification and electricity theft, he added. 

On January 17, three elephants died of electrocution on a patta land close to Mettupalayam forest. Two months ago, a tusker was electrocuted in Erode.