While many believe that the Elephant Proof Trenches (EPTs) dug near the forest boundaries to prevent elephants from venturing out are helpful, in reality they are posing great danger to their health.

These trenches, that are close to residential areas in Madukkarai, are dumped with plastic wastes causing health hazards to the animals. Not only plastic wastes, even other household wastes and garbage are dumped in these trenches as residents find it easy to dispose of the waste here. (The dustbins are slightly far away from the houses).

The frequency at which the elephants cross the trenches during winter has further increased the severity of the problem.

Sources claimed that the dung samples of elephants taken in Anaikatti had pieces of plastic left in them.

According to a senior Forest Department official, the forest region of the district are girded on the fringes with EPTs for a distance of more than 200 km in all the seven ranges in Coimbatore.

“Another 1.5 km is also planned in the near future,” he said.

While the width of the trench is 3 metres on top and 2 metres at the bottom, the soil should be dumped inside the reserve so that it mounts up to 1.5 meters. Unfortunately due to insensible acts by the residents these trenches do not serve the purpose in two ways – the depth of trench becomes too small due to dumping of waste as a result of which elephants cross over easily and also they consume the trash.

“In many areas, people make the trenches less deep by putting back the soil so as to help their cattle enter the reserve areas easily,” said a source.

He said only continuous monitoring would prove helpful to avert such activities as it is a danger not only for the animals, but also for humans who live close to the fringes.

District Forest Officer S. Ramasubramaniam said that the wastes would be cleared as soon as possible. He also said residents and farmers should take equal responsibility in safeguarding the trench that guard both humans and animals.