Kerala tusker attack: Demand for restoring solar fencing, digging trench has been pending for long

Among the major demands were restoring the solar fence and digging trenches in the affected areas. These were raised by the local people some two years ago when a man was similarly trampled to death in the same Pinavoorkudy ward of the panchayat

The assurances given by the district administration based on which the tension at Urulanthanni in Kuttampuzha panchayat in Ernakulam, Kerala, was eventually defused were at least two years old, according to local body members.

Among the major demands were restoring the solar fence and digging trenches in the affected areas. These were raised by the local people some two years ago when a man was similarly trampled to death in the same Pinavoorkudy ward of the panchayat.

Kanthi Vellakayyan, the panchayat president, said the solar fencing in the area had been damaged for years now. Only residues of the fencing remained in the area, while in some stretches, it was completely missing. It has now been assured that the maintenance of the solar fencing would start this week itself.

Pinavoorkudy ward member Binesh Narayanan said that after digging the trench was found to be expensive, NABARD was roped in and the Construction Corporation, which was allocated funds, tendered the work. The trench has been proposed in an 8-km stretch from Valiyathuparambu to Anadamkudy while also covering parts of Knachary where the man was killed by a wild tusker on Monday (December 16, 2024) night.

“However, the work got delayed as a consent letter had to be secured from the owners of a private plot along the route. They were in Kasaragod though they owned the land here. Also, there was some dispute over the distance of the proposed trench from the road. While it was originally proposed 4 metres from the road, later it was reworked to 10 metres,” said Mr. Narayanan.

Street lights dysfunctional

He said that street lights in the Knachary area had been dysfunctional for around five months now after the sensors attached to it so that they get switched on and off automatically got damaged in rain. “The contractor concerned has been delaying it on one pretext or the other. The panchayat has been even mulling over undertaking legal action against him,” said Mr. Narayanan

Eldhose, 45, who was killed on Monday night came under the attack of the wild tusker when he was walking along the unlit stretch of the road flanked by thick forest leading to his house at Valiya Knachary. There was no light in the area apart from the lights at the forest office where the deceased had alighted the bus before walking home. Some 60-odd families reside in the Cheirya Knachary and Valiya Knachary in Pinavoorkudy ward.

A decision has now been taken to also deploy a rapid reaction team of the forest department for which a vehicle would be bought using the funds allocated by Kothamangalam MLA Antony John from his development fund.

Published - December 17, 2024 10:06 am IST