Jumbo check: Minister inspects steel ropeway project at Nagarhole forest

NT Correspondent
Mysuru

Co-operation and district in-charge minister S.T. Somashekhar on Wednesday inspected the steel wire rope barricade which is being erected for the first time in Nagarhole National Park to check the frequent raids by wild elephants on villages.

The ropeway barricade has been installed in the Veeranahosalli range of Nagarhole National Park. The officials of Nagarhole Park explained how the ropeway barricade is a better choice than the present iron railings which have not been useful in preventing the entry of wild jumbos into human settlements. The officer said the scarcity and high cost of iron railings had forced the Forest Department to go for the ropeway barricade.

A 13-foot long concrete pillar weighing 1.5 tons would be erected in a deep pit to which the ropeway would be attached to prevent wild jumbos from raiding villages. The officer said of late there has been an increase in man-wildlife conflict in the region.

The iron railings, solar fencing and the ropeway barricade would put together prevent elephants from raiding villages, he asserted. The minister expressed happiness over the installation of the steel ropeway and expressed the hope that it would bring down incidents of man-elephant conflict.