Narrow escape for construction workers as elephants damage shed near Coimbatore

Wild elephants damage construction workers' shed near Coimbatore, causing fear among residents in Thadagam valley.

Four construction workers had a narrow escape when wild elephants damaged their shed at Sowdambika Nagar near Chinna Thadagam in Coimbatore on Tuesday night.

Residents from the locality said that a lone tusker and a cow elephant and its calf were roaming in villages in Thadagam valley for the past several days.

The mother-calf-duo entered Sowdambika Nagar at Thanneerpanthal and pushed the coconut thatch shed of the construction workers. The four men, who were sleeping inside, had a narrow escape before the elephants damaged the shed looking for eatables.

R. Manoharan, a farmer from nearby Kalaiyanur, said wild elephants have been causing damage to crops and properties in places such as Kalaiyanur, Chinna Thadagam and Somayanur for the past five days.

“They damaged 200 banana trees in my plantation two days ago. The elephants entered the farm around 7 p.m. and stayed till 4 a.m. the next day. Forest Department staff did not drive them out,” he alleged.

He said that a tusker, known as ‘Oosi Komban’, was straying into villages in Thadagam valley at night, and the residents were afraid of stepping out of their houses in fear of wild elephants.