Containers spoil jumbos' dal-rice party at PDS shops

THE residents are heaving a sigh of relief as the incidents of wild elephants raiding PDS shops have come down drastically, thanks to the authorities concerned for replacing the shops, built mostly with mud, with shipping containers at Muthumudi and Thaimudi estates in Manompoly forest range in Valparai plateau.

The two cargo containers, worth ₹9 lakh, were sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

"Containers were made of steel and difficult for the elephants to damage. Even the smell of rice and dal won't permeate outside the container. This is a pilot project, and based on its success, it will be implemented in other areas too," said an official from ATR.