Chennai, Dec 2 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu forest department has written a letter to the revenue authorities in the Dindigul district stating that encroachments and illegal distribution of patta are the main reasons for the intrusion of elephants into human habitats.

The forest department was to install electric fencing in Ayakudi and Kannivadi villages of Dindigul district, but has been stalled due to the revenue department not clearing encroachments along the forest lands.

The department in a complaint to the revenue department said that even as the government had sanctioned Rs 7 lakh for installing a 30 km electric fencing to prevent elephants from reaching human habitats, it could not be taken forward due to encroachments.

The forest department in the communication said that in the Dindigul range, 378 acres of forest land has been encroached upon and 413.2 hectares of land from the Kodaikanal forest land was encroached.

A senior official of the forest department told IANS that even after the money for electric fencing has been sanctioned, "the work did not commence due to the lethargy of the revenue department in clearing the encroached areas".

Revenue department officials have already informed the forest department that they would look into the matter and would take necessary steps to clear the hindrance to install the electric fencing.

There have been several instances of man-elephant conflict in the villages of Ayakudi and Kannivadi and the local people have been complaining about this issue. The forest department had sanctioned Rs 7 lakh for installing electric fencing to prevent the intrusion of elephants into the villages.