The Hindu : Front Page : Wireless sensor system to stop jumbos

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Thursday, Jan 21, 2010
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Wireless sensor system to stop jumbos

V.S. Palaniappan

Field trials expected to begin in February
Farmers given Rs. 36 lakh as compensation

Coimbatore: Forest Department, Coimbatore, and Coimbatore Institute of Technology are planning to develop a wireless sensor system to warn the forest staff on elephant movement in the fringe areas of the forest. Field trials on the system are expected to begin in February.

The Forest Department officials led by Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle, R. Kannan and District Forest Officer I. Anwardeen have adopted a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem of man-animal conflict.

Mr. Anwardeen said solar fencing of 27 kms in Madukkarai and Naickenpalayam areas had been done at a cost of Rs 1.6 lakh per km (total cost Rs. 43.2 lakh).

A new model of farmers’ participation has been evolved to prevent elephants from raiding crops by digging “elephant proof trenches” for 3 km in Kallar area in Mettuppalayam and near Palapatti in Sirumaugai range. The cost was borne by the farmers and the department executed the work.

This has considerably reduced incidents of elephants damaging crops. Now there is a positive response from farmers in other areas as well.

The technique of pushing the elephants back to the forests with the help of powerful search lights is proving effective.

Three hundred and sixty nine farmers were given Rs. 36 lakh as compensation in 2008-09.

According to sources, Coimbatore District Collector P. Umanath was contemplating to send a proposal to the government to amend guidelines for the MLA’s Constituency Development Fund to enable MLAs from man-elephant conflict-prone areas to allocate funds to the forest department.

This would help the department take effective measures to stop the marauding jumbos in their tracks., the sources added.

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