Kodagu: Ecology and Environment Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar said that the Government was seriously pursuing various measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the District including erecting rail barricades and rope fences.

He chaired the meeting of Forest Department personnel in Madikeri on Saturday October 15 with regard to the issue and reviewed various works besides participating in the 14rd Annual Meeting of the Kodagu Planters’ Association. On the experimental basis the rope fences were being installed in some parts of Nagarahole at a cost of Rs. 5 Crore, he said.

Additional Chief Secretary said that the issue had been discussed with the Chief Minister and in addition to Rs 5 Crore, additional funds have been promised to prevent wild elephants from straying into human landscape.

Kodagu Forests Conservator B .N. Niranjan Murthy said that efforts will be made to increase the bamboo plantation in the forests on which elephants are dependent to a considerable extent. More than 15,000 metric tonnes of bamboo seeds have been planted to mitigate the scarcity, he said. Though there were nearly 1,300 elephants in Kodagu about 200 were frequenting to human landscape and causing problems, he noted.

A team from Indo-German Project headed by Neeraja Khera also interacted with Forest Department Officials on mitigating the conflict situation. The Additional Chief Secretary and other officials also visited’ Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.