Coimbatore : With indigenous cattle breeds becoming endangered for want of fodder, a group of farmers from 18 villages on the outskirts today requested the district administration to allow cattle to graze around forest areas.

In a petition submitted to the Collector, Kongu Patrteeswaran Gosala represented by K Rajamani said villagers had been eking their livelihood by rearing cows since decades. The ban by forest department to let cattle graze around forest areas put them into lot of hardship, he said.

With no fodder available, villagers were forced to sell their cattle. Farmers also attributed the mushrooming of resorts, residential plots and parks in the vicinity of forest areas, to be reason behind the ban.

In view of the possible extinction of such cattle breed, the district administration should consider their request, they pleaded.

Separately, in another memorandum, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association urged the Collector to take action against a private company for using borewell almost non-stop, leading to the drying up of water sources in Vellanaipatti on the outskirts.