Belagavi
All members cutting across party lines have demanded in the Legislative Assembly that permanent measures should be taken to avoid clashes between elephants, tigers and other wild animals. Raising the issue during question hour, Sringeri MLA PD Rajegowda said that 18 villages in his constituency are witnessing continuous elephant attacks. He said that the conflict of wildlife is recurring in his constituency, which has sanctuaries on the one hand and Kudremukh on the other.
The construction of trenches and wire fences is not of any use. The construction of barricades of railway tracks is a permanent solution. The plan is to build barricades at a cost of Rs 120 crore this year. He demanded that it be implemented expeditiously on priority.
Senior BJP member Araga Gnanendra intervened and said that elephants are attacking the hard-earned crops of farmers and destroying them within an hour. MLA HD Thammaiah and several MLAs including Harish Poonja, Bhagirathi Murulya and others expressed concern over the wildlife clash. When the debate intensified, Speaker UT Khader said, there is an elephant bite, here is your menace.
Meanwhile, Forest Minister Ishwar Khandre said that the elephant-human conflict is increasing day by day. The problem can be solved by erecting barricades using railway tracks.
