Provide power to farmers during day to avoid animal attacks, Khandre tells CM

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Minister for Forests and Ecology Eshwar Khandre wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah requesting that farmers, especially those living at the peripheries of the wooded areas be given day time power supply so as to avoid human-animal conflict.

Khandre pointed out that currently the State government was providing three phase power supply to farmers for their pump sets for irrigation purposes at night time.

He claimed that the ryots who visited their fields at night fell prey to animal attacks and lost their lives.

“Several people have fallen prey to attacks by elephants, leopards and tigers. Farmers are becoming victims to these attacks when they visit their fields at night because the government is providing them three phase power, which is required to run their pump sets for irrigation. So several wildlife experts have suggested power supply during daylight hours,” Khandre wrote to the CM.