Madikeri: Forest minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to urgently strengthen measures to control human-elephant conflict in Kodagu district, with a focus on repairing elephant trenches and suspended solar fences.At a meeting in Vikas Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday with senior forest officials and Kodagu MLAs AS Ponnanna, Manthar Gowda and Nanjnagud MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan, the minister said wildlife-related deaths in Kodagu were of serious concern to the govt. He ordered that the district’s existing 422 km of elephant trenches and 544 km of suspended solar fencing be properly repaired within one month.Khandre noted that 38% of wildlife-human conflict deaths in Karnataka occur in Kodagu and called for increased patrolling. He also asked officials to strengthen conflict-control units, including the Elephant Task Force and Rapid Response Force. To improve response time when elephants and other wild animals enter plantations, four vehicles have already been purchased in addition to the existing six. The minister suggested procuring four more vehicles and engaging local youth in the task force on an outsourced basis.He also instructed officials to establish a stronger wireless communication network to share information on wildlife movement and help curb illegal logging and poaching.Khandre directed the department to collect data on the number of plantation workers in each zone of Kodagu and ensure immediate alerts are sent through WhatsApp and vehicles fitted with mikes whenever elephants or other wildlife approach nearby settlements or plantations.With summer approaching, he said steps must be taken to prevent shortages of water and fodder for wildlife inside forests between late March and May. He also asked officials to keep the public and local representatives informed about water availability in forest waterholes. He emphasised that forest officials should maintain cordial relations with local communities, saying cooperation from residents is essential for resolving conflict-related issues.Principal chief conservator of forests Meenakshi Negi, PCCF (wildlife) Kumar Pushkar, and senior forest officers, including Manoj Rajan, Manoj Kumar and Kodagu CCF Sonal Vrishni, attended the meeting.
