Thu Dec 05 13:43:17 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka Seeks Cheaper Solution to Elephant Menace

**Bengaluru, December 5, 2024** – Karnataka, home to India’s largest elephant population, is exploring more cost-effective methods to mitigate human-elephant conflict. State Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre has directed forest officials to investigate Tamil Nadu’s approach, which utilizes steel rope fences instead of the expensive railway barricades currently employed in Karnataka.

While railway barricades, costing ₹1.5 crore per kilometer, have been installed along 312 kilometers, their high cost and limited availability pose a challenge. Tamil Nadu’s steel rope fences, estimated at ₹45 lakh per kilometer, offer a potentially more affordable alternative.

Minister Khandre has requested a report within 10 days comparing the two methods. The study will also analyze the impact of railway barricades on human and crop losses before and after their installation. The move comes amidst rising concerns over elephant attacks and crop raiding incidents across the state.

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