WILD ELEPHANT MENACE RAGES IN ANURADHAPURA & MATALE DISTRICTS

People in several villages on the borders of Anuradhapura and Matale districts have been compelled to spend many a sleepless night lighting fires and holding burning torches to scare away herds of wild elephants that roam into home gardens and cultivated land.

They said marauding herds raided Narangawewa, Koralyagama, Damana and Ulapotha in the Anuradhapura District and Siyambalawatta, and Dandubendiruppa villages in the Matale district and that they kept vigil from dusk to dawn to protect their crops and houses and families from possible danger. .

Several villagers pointed raided home gardens and destroyed crops and homes damaged due to attempts made by wild elephants to pull down walls of houses.

They said the authorities erected an electric fence funded by the civil society organisations in 15 villagers but the project costing Rs.3 million was now out or order due to lack of maintenance. The villagers expressed concern about the hardships faced by students whose studies had been seriously affected by the wild elephant threat.

They said the authorities erected an electric fence funded by the civil society organisations in 15 villagers but the project costing Rs.3 million was now out or order due to lack of maintenance

The people in the affected areas said their continual representations in this regard to the relevant authorities had fallen on deaf ears and that ‘‘The Grama Niladharies’’ had failed to report their predicament to the senior officials.