The Madras High Court bench here has directed the Forest Department to form a special team for taking action against farmers who put up high voltage electric fencing in the Tiger Reserve area near Kalakkad Mundanthurai in Tirunelveli district.
Justices R Sudhakar and V M Velumani gave the direction while hearing a PIL filed by S Ramesh Kumar, an advocate, who charged that high power electric fencing had been installed without any permission to protect crops.
The petitioner submitted that recently a bear had electrocuted in Kadayam forest near the tiger reserve.
As per rules, permission was granted only for solar-powered electric fencing with 23 volt capacity. But farmers installed electric fence without the knowledge of the Forest Department, supplying 230 volt power.