
Wild elephants destroy crops at Vadakarai
The Hindu
Farmers say they will stage a demo at the Collectorate
Four wild elephants which strayed into paddy fields and coconut groves near Vadakarai in the district and damaged the crops gave tense moments to farmers on Wednesday.
With recurring incidences of wild animal invading fields and farms close to the foothills of the Western Ghats, the farmers are demanding the State government to dig trenches and erect solar-powered electric fences to block the free movement of animals, especially wild boars and elephants.

In , the grape capital of India and host of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela every 12 years, environmental concerns over a plan to cut 1,800 trees for the proposed Sadhugram project in the historic Tapovan area have sharpened political fault lines ahead of local body elections. The issue has pitted both Sena factions against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra. While Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief, and Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the Shiv Sena (UBT), remain political rivals, their parties have found rare common ground in Tapovan, where authorities propose clearing trees across 34 acres to build Sadhugram and a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) hub, as part of a ₹300-crore infrastructure push linked to the pilgrimage.












