Rs 200 crore project required to prevent wild animal intrusion: Kerala forest department

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Forest Department has asked the Finance Department to immediately sanction the Rs 200 crore scheme prepared to prevent animals from venturing into the human habitat. If the delay is continued, the department presages that more people will have to pay their lives to wild animal attacks in the state.

Forest Minister AK Saseendran will hold talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday asking for immediate intervention. The planning board has approved the scheme to construct trenches, electric fences and barbed fences on the forest boundaries and create water bodies in the forest. The Finance Department did not respond to any of the files sent by the Forest Department requesting the amount. Among this, the central government also rejected the Rs 620 crore project plan proposed by the state government.

Kerala will look to emulate Tamil Nadu’s pattern of reform that brought down wild animal attacks in the state. Tamil Nadu's forest borders used to have more cases of wild animal attacks than Kerala. It took ten years for the state to solve the issue after implementing the Rs 450 crore project. Electric fences, trenches and barbed wire were installed.

Trenches were made at the precise points where the elephants entered the farm. Even after crossing the trench, there will be barbed wire or electric fence. Animals were also provided with water in the forest itself.

In 2019, the Munnar Wildlife Division introduced an Eco-Restoration project. Till 2022, more than 2 crore rupees have been spent under the UNDP project. Renovation of water sources, planting of grass, and planting of trees were all implemented. The lack of maintenance and proper follow-up in the project has now forced more such wild animals to venture into human habitats.