Sullia MLA urges government to take elephant attacks seriously

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Sullia MLA Bhagirathi Murulya said on Saturday that the menace of elephants in Sullia and surrounding areas has emerged as a major problem for farmers, and urged the government to take serious measures to protect agricultural lands from attacks.

Speaking at the District Development Co-ordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting, the MLA said the government should install solar-powered electric fencing system to prevent elephant raids. While the government currently provides a 50% subsidy to farmers for solar fencing, she urged the State to bear the entire cost. She noted that farmers are already suffering financial distress due to yellow leaf disease, fruit rot disease, and leaf spot disease in arecanut plantations.

A Forest Department official informed the meeting that an estimated 80 elephants are currently roaming the Sullia and Puttur areas. The department has distributed ₹3.30 lakh in compensation to 19 farmers for crop destruction so far this year. Additionally, compensation of ₹73 lakh is yet to be disbursed to 381 farmers.

Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan directed the Forest Department to register a case against GAIL Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd. (GMPL) for burying a dead peacock without informing the department. Earlier, Bajpe Town Panchayat president Lokesh Poojary had raised the issue, stating that GMPL authorities in the Mangaluru Special Economic Zone had buried the peacock without notifying the Forest Department. He said that despite the town panchayat filing a complaint, no action had been taken against the company.

A Forest Department official clarified that no case was registered initially as company authorities pleaded ignorance of the law. However, the department later exhumed the carcass and conducted a post-mortem examination.

Mr. Darshan remarked that ignorance of the law is no excuse, directing officials to register an FIR and investigate whether the bird was poisoned.

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