Tamil Nadu Budget 2026: Farmers welcome announcements to minimise man–wildlife conflict
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a new human-wildlife conflict mitigation scheme in its 2026 budget to protect farmers near the Western Ghats. The initiative includes the installation of solar and steel wire fencing to prevent crop damage and animal attacks.
Why it matters
It addresses the growing economic and safety concerns of farmers living in proximity to protected forest areas.
The Tamil Nadu Government’s move to scientifically minimise the man – wildlife conflict, which even leads to loss of precious life in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts, will be a great relief to the farming community, especially the agriculturists having their ranches close to the Western Ghats.
In the very recent sloth bear attack at Mela Ambur near Kadayam in Tenkasi district on July 31, 61-year-old G. Murugan from a village near Papanasam was mauled to death. The forest personnel, who arrived at the spot to rescue the farmer after receiving alert from the public about this attack, could not even chase the ferocious animal back into the forest.
In a similar attack at Puliyangudi in Tenkasi district, a crop-raiding sloth bear inflicted grievous bleeding injuries on three women farmhands - Ramalakshmi, 42 and Palaniammal, 43, Seihu Ammal, 48 – on August 7 last year.
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