Representatives from NGOs and Government departments today held discussions on increasing coordination between them to bring down the man-animal conflicts that has been witnessing fatalities on both sides recently.

Jointly organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Osai, an environmental organisation, the members also discussed issues pertaining to identifying and retrieving elephant corridors in Coimbatore, reducing killings inside the forests, clearing encroachments from catchment areas in Sirumugai, preventing electrocutions, avoiding rail accidents and implementing rules and safe passage for animals in religious places including Marudhamalai and Velliangiri Hills.

While NGOs and forest officials highlighted the struggle the animals were facing not just outside the reserve forests but also inside, officials from the various other departments – TN Generation and Development Corporation (TNGEDCO), National Highways, PWD and Railways outlined the practical difficulties they faced in implementing wildlife friendly projects.

Lack of funds was a major problem in carrying out any project – whether it was constructing a flyover at Kallar elephant corridor where elephants migrate throughout the year or constructing an underpass on railway track between Madukkarai and Kanjikode where more than 20 elephants have been killed in the last two decades.

Setting up low cost hanging solar fences around farmlands to prevent animals from entering in was also suggested to the department and a plea to construct a gate on the steps of Marudhamalai to prevent walkers during late hours was also presented to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments officials.

“This is the first inter-departmental meeting and we hope to arrive at practical solutions to the issues soon,” district forest officer (in-charge) A. Periyasamy, said after the discussions.

The department was in need of research pertaining to the problems so that scientific results are arrived at at the earliest, he added.

Rajeev K. Srivastava, director of TN Forest Academy was also present.