Chettalli: The unscientific trench dug along the stretch from Kandekere to Valnoor to prevent wild elephant surge into human habitats and coffee estates has proven to be a colossal waste serving no purpose.

The soil extracted while digging trenches is piled on the forest side instead of road side. Intelligent wild elephants push the mud back into trenches to easily enter the familiar areas they desire.

Fear-stricken villagers living in hope of some relief after several deaths in the area due to elephant attacks have no respite from the new trenches dug spending lots of money to protect human lives and crops.

They only hope common sense prevails so that wild elephants do not have the last laugh in the future!