People Electrocuted as Farmers Erect Live Wires to Protect Their Crop From Wildlife

Adilabad: Adilabad district is witnessing incidents of villagers dying of electrocution when they come into contact with live electric wires put up by other farmers in their fields to protect their crops from wildlife.

For example, farmer Madavi Neelkant of Valgonda village in Indravelli mandal of Adilabad district died of electrocution when he came into contact with live electric wires put up by farmer Kinaka Malku Patel of the same village to protect his standing crops from wild boars. The issue came to the notice of police on Thursday, though Neelkant had died on the night of September 14.

Incidentally, Neelkant had gone to his agricultural fields in the evening to guard his standing crops from wild boars at night. His family found his body when they came searching for him when he did not return home the next morning.

Utnoor circle inspector M. Prasad said Malku Patel had illegally put up a GI wire line at the knee level and connected it to the nearby transformer. Malku Patel has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

A few days ago, lorry cleaner Rupesh Kumar, 21, of Bihar died of electrocution when he accidentally came into contact with a live electric wire in the agricultural fields of Atram Chandrabhan, 41, in Gandhari village of Neredigonda mandal of Adilabad district.

Rupesh Kumar had reached the area close to National Highway 44 along with lorry driver Avadhesh. They had been travelling from Raipur to Hyderabad when their lorry hit a tanker at Kupti bridge, which had been under repair. Police said Rupesh and Avadhesh abandoned their vehicle and ran away fearing some workers might have been killed in the accident. Instead, Rupesh got electrocuted and died.

These incidents of electrocution have left the Forest department officials of the Kawal Tiger Reserve worried. There are tigers from Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra that migrate to Kawal forests in search of food. However, none of these tigers have made Kawal Tiger Reserve their home. They have always returned to Tadoba Andhari.

Forest officials are worried that these tigers may stray into the agricultural fields and get electrocuted.

Significantly, Telangana forest officials have seized a tiger skin, paws, and teeth from the possession of a small group of people who had been trying to sell them to prospective buyers in Kagaznagar area of Komaram Bheem district. Officials believe the tiger died of electrocution.