Farmers in Gudiyatham want solution to elephant menace

Residents of Kotamitta village complain of sleep deprivation since they have to guard crops at nights

On most nights, 65-year-old G.M. Rajagopalan and farmers like him spend sleepless nights by the Palamaner Road running through Kottamitta village in Gudiyatham. They stand guard to chase wild elephant herds that descend from the nearby forest and destroy their crops. This is not the case in this village alone. Farmers from 30 hamlets under village panchayats such as Modikuppam, Dhanamkondapalli, Mordhana and Sengundram have been facing the problem due to elephants. Cultivation of mango, bananas, and groundnuts is common in these villages. “Sleep deprivation is a major problem as we stand guard at night, but we somehow have to protect our crops. Elephants enter our fields in search of water. During the day time, we chase away monkeys, deer and wild boar that destroy our produce,” said Mr. Rajagopalan.