Drone surveillance, satellite monitoring fail to keep elephants at bay in Vadaserikkara

Vadaserikkara: Drones are in the sky, and satellite-based Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) are on alert, but the elephant menace in Vadaserikkara shows no sign of easing, with herds straying into villages almost every night.

Elephants entered several parts of the panchayat on Wednesday night as well, with a herd of four still seen near Vadaserikkara town at around 7 am on Thursday as it made its way back to the forest.

Several areas, including Boundary, MRFS, Chembarathimoodu, Arkemon, Sankaramangalam Estate, Olikal, and Vadaserikkara, have emerged as regular elephant routes, with herds often turning up at multiple locations simultaneously. The animals also stray into Kumbalathamon and Mukkuzhi, keeping forest personnel on their toes as they move from one alert to another. Moving through villages and rubber plantations with ease, the elephants appear undeterred by firecrackers and loud noises that once helped drive them away.

The herds usually reach the outskirts of Vadaserikkara town via the Kallar river and its banks, spending the night grazing on farmland and along the riverbanks. At daybreak, they move towards Sankaramangalam Estate through the PIP aqueduct. Their frequent movement has also created a well-worn elephant trail within the plantation that leads back into the forest. The animals roam the forest fringes during the day and occasionally return to the plantation, only to reappear in nearby settlements as dusk falls.

On Thursday morning, four elephants were again spotted crossing the river through the ghat near the village office after damaging crops near the town, before moving to the opposite bank. Local residents said the herd had come to within about 100 metres of the town.

For the people of Vadaserikkara, nights have turned into an anxious vigil. Sleep has given way to constant watchfulness as elephant visits grow more frequent. Their question now is how much longer they will have to live with the fear. For now, even forest officials have no answer.