A high-level meeting of officials and public representatives held at the Munnar UNDP Hall on Wednesday decided to identify barbed wire fencings inside tea plantations in and around Munnar that block the smooth movement of wild elephants. Because of the fences, the animals travel some distance through roads outside to get to the next plantation.
High Range Circle Chief Conservator of Forests Arun R.S. said the Forest department would soon identify the barrier fences and inform the plantation companies. “The companies have already expressed support for the efforts to mitigate human-elephant conflicts in Munnar. Once the spots are identified and the fences removed, proper movement of wild animals will be facilitated,” said the official. For long, the animals have travelled through the plantations without harming people and their dwellings.
