Residents stage protest at Hasanur in Erode district to demand road facilities, protection from wild elephants

Villagers near Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) staged a roadblock to demand elephant-proof trenches (EPTs), telecommunication facilities, and upgradation of government schools. Protestors blocked a highway to draw attention to their plight, with officials promising to fulfill their demands.

Demanding elephant-proof trenches (EPTs), telecommunication facilities and upgradation of government schools, over 500 people from various villages of Hasanur panchayat in Talavadi taluk on Saturday staged a roadblock.

There are over 20 villages in the panchayat with a population of over 5,000 people. These villages are located near the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and wild elephants and animals frequently raid crops in the farmlands. People have been demanding effective steps to reduce human-animal conflict.

At 11.30 a.m. on Saturday, protestors blocked the Dindigul – Bengaluru National Highway 948 that passes through the core area of STR at Arepalayam road junction near Hasanur demanding EPTs to prevent elephants from venturing out of forest areas and to re-lay damaged roads in their villages. In the absence of telecommunication networks, communicating becomes very difficult for them, they said, and wanted the facility to be created in all the villages. They also called for upgrading the middle school to high school so that children can pursue their studies without difficulty. T.V. Ravishankar, Tahsildar, Talavadi, and officials from police, forest department and other departments held talks with the protestors. The protest was withdrawn by 2 p.m. as officials assured that their demands would be fulfilled.