May 20, 2025

A farmers' association in Coimbatore is raising concerns about the use of steel wire fences to prevent human-animal conflicts in certain areas of the Coimbatore Forest Division. They question the effectiveness of these fences, particularly in bottleneck points where wild animal intrusions are common. The State general secretary of Vivasayigal Sangam, P.Kandasamy, emphasizes the importance of evaluating the utility of such projects rather than just implementing them because funds have been sanctioned. The association points to examples like the Bannerghatta National Park, where a variety of physical barriers including solar electric fences, trenches, walls, moats, and barriers have been utilized to prevent animal intrusions. They also mention the exploration of railway line barriers using old steel rails at the park. The effectiveness of such barriers, especially in mitigating Asian Elephant-Train collisions on vulnerable stretches, is highlighted in a 2024 report commissioned by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Wildlife Institute of India. The report sheds light on the potential of railway line barriers in preventing such collisions. However, despite these considerations, the Forest Department in Coimbatore faced a setback in their implementation of steel wire fences when works were halted due to a court directive in April. The directive called for a pause in the project until elephant corridors are properly established.

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Tags: Farmers association, Coimbatore forest division, Steel wire fences, Human-animal conflict,