Mahavilachchiya residents protest over unresolved human-elephant conflict

A demonstration was held outside the Mahavilachchiya Divisional Secretariat this morning (18) as residents demanded a solution to the long-standing wild elephant menace affecting their area.

Protesters marched from Pemaduwa Junction to the Divisional Secretariat, holding placards to voice their grievances.

The crowd dispersed after the Divisional Secretary met with them and promised to brief top authorities immediately.

She also pledged to expedite a habitat enrichment program within the reserve, following a District Development Committee decision aimed at sustaining the elephant population.

Locals expressed frustration to the media, stating that no authority had provided a proper solution to the crisis over the years.

They noted that elephant herds from the Wilpattu Reserve regularly invade their villages, forcing farmers into a constant struggle for survival.

The failure to properly maintain the electric fence around the Wilpattu Reserve allows elephants to enter villages, posing a severe threat to crops, property, and human lives.

Residents pointed out that the watchtowers built across the Wilpattu Reserve at great expense stand abandoned and ineffective, as the government failed to deploy Civil Security Department (CSD) personnel to man them.

The primary cause for the neglect of the fence and watchtowers stems from the transfer of local CSD officers to other areas.

Despite entering office with promises to resolve the human-elephant conflict, the current administration failed to deliver an effective remedy.

Farmers warned that they will resort to severe measures to protect their lives and crops if authorities continue to ignore their plight.