Nadavayal: After a lull, wild elephants have once again begun straying into human settlements and causing damage to crops in the Neykuppa region of Poothadi panchayat.

The other day,  an elephant that strayed from the Chenjadi forest region under the Pathiri South Section damaged the crops of several farmers here.Locals allege that the animal entered human habitation by passing under a hanging fence along the forest fringe, which had been established jointly by residents and the Forest Department.

 With an earlier project to erect a crash guard along the forest fringes,  which cost several crores of rupees, coming to a stand still, the hanging fence was erected along he fringes here. Although authorities had promised to deploy a couple of watchers to monitor the hanging fence, this measure was never implemented. Power disruption to the fence is also being cited as a reason for the elephant straying into the settlements.

The crops of farmers such as Kuriyakattil Jose, Shinoj and Kandath Anthony such as coconut trees, plantains and areca nuts, were completely destroyed in the attack. As many as five coconut trees, both mature and young, were uprooted or broken on the property of Shinoj alone.

Since the initial construction of the fencing, no wild elephants had entered the area, so farmers were unaware of the potential threat. They discovered the extent of the crop damage only the following morning.