Chennai, Mar 12 (IANS): Leading environmentalists in Tamil Nadu have urged political parties to take effective measures to resolve the human-animal conflict in the state. The conflict has claimed 81 human lives since 2016, they say.

The environmental activists called upon the political parties to take up this issue and include it in their election manifestos.

V. Surendra Kumar of the Coimbatore-based organisation Sraddha, while speaking to IANS on Friday, said,"Human-animal conflict is a major concern for state administrators. We don't know whether the political parties who are wielding power have any concern for this issue and if this is not taken up seriously, it is certain that more human lives and crops will be lost."

As many as 81 people lost their lives in wild elephant attacks since 2016 which is an average of 16 people a year. Kumar elaborated,"Politicians who frequently visit Krishnagiri, Coimbatore and Nilgiris are aware of what is happening, but without an initiative nothing will happen and it is high time that preventive measures are taken."

The Tamil Nadu Agriculture department also attributed the heavy losses to crops to attacks by wild animals including wild boars,pigs and even elephants which reach the human settlements bordering forest areas in herds.

Shanmughasundaram, Deputy Director, Tamil Nadu Agriculture department, while speaking to IANS, said, "Indeed there are heavy crop losses through wild animal attacks. Mostly the issues are settled through crop insurances but there are instances where this happens late. The government has formulated several policies and we are trying to make the settlement process quick and convenient. However, farmers must also not encroach on forest land for cultivation and in certain cases it is such encroachment in the habitat of elephants that leads to attacks."

With loss of lives and crops becoming a regular phenomenon, agriculturists and environmentalists are jointly of the opinion that a concrete policy must be there to put an end to such losses.

Speaking to IANS, R Veerapandyan, President, Nilgris District Farmers Association, said: "The government must take pro- active measures to bring to an end these conflicts. This has to be taken as a priority or we may have to take to the streets. We have already petitioned all the major political parties to make this a top priority matter in their election manifestos".

N Mohanraj of World Wide Fund for Nature( WWF) said, "There are around 600 to 800 tigers in the Western Ghats and once they are old, they will scout for easy preys and this will be a threat to human beings living in the borders of forest areas. The government must bring in a concrete policy addressing such issues."

He also said that there should be a detailed study on the elephants and tigers which are problematic and a committee of environmentalists, veterinarians and tribals to track wild animals like elephants and tigers.

With elections on April 6, it has to be seen whether the political parties will adhere to the appeal of environmentalists and activists and bring about a concrete policy on this issue.