Lorry Cleaner’s Death Exposes Live Wires Farmers String Against Wildlife
A senior forest officer said they are closely monitoring illegal connections in forests from where poachers draw electricity to lay live electric wires to kill tigers.
Adilabad: Many farmers are stringing up live electric wires in their agricultural fields near forests to protect their crops from wildlife. However, a lorry cleaner died of electrocution after accidentally coming into contact with one such wire in Gandhari village of Neredigonda mandal in Adilabad district.
Ichoda police have registered a case against the tenant farmer Atram Chandrabhan, 41 years, for the death of the 21-year-old lorry cleaner Rupesh Kumar.
Farmers are setting up live electric wires to protect their standing crops, such as cotton, soya, red gram, jowar, and maize from wild animals, especially wild boars. But such wires are posing a threat to two tigers moving in in Adilabad district and three tigers that are scouring the Kagaznagar forest division.
There have been incidents in the past when tigers have been electrocuted when they accidentally came into contact with live electric wires that farmers erect to protect their standing crops. Tigers end up hunting wild boars when there is no sufficient prey base. In the process, tigers come close to agricultural fields on the village outskirts and on the fringes of forests, thereby getting electrocuted.
Poachers too target tigers by laying live electric wires in the forests. Forest beat officer B. Naveen became a victim of one such wire set by poachers in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. Four persons have been arrested in this case.
According to sources, currently, a migrant tiger from neighbouring Maharashtra is moving in the forests between Penchikalpet and Bejjur mandals. Another tiger has been spotted near Itikalpahad in Sirpur (T) mandal and a third is in the forests of Kagaznagar mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. Two tigers are reportedly moving between Bheempur and Boath mandals in Adilabad district.
There had been news of a pregnant tiger moving in the forests of Itikalpahad three months ago, though forest officials did not confirm the news. It is said the tiger is now reportedly moving in the same area with her cubs.
Tiger movement is frequent in the Kagaznagar Forest division, which is considered a tiger corridor between Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra and Kawal Tiger Reserve. Tigers are also migrating into Adilabad district from Tippeshwar Tiger Reserve.
Forest staff are creating awareness among villages not to cause any harm to the tigers moving in their area by erecting live electric wires. Foresters are advising farmers to return home by 5 p.m. and return to their agricultural fields only after 9 a.m. in groups to avoid confrontation with any tiger.
A senior forest officer of Kagaznagar Forest division said they are closely monitoring the movement of tigers and also focusing on illegal connections in forests from where poachers draw electricity to lay the live electric wires.