Mar 27, Colombo: Nearly Rs. 500 million has been spent on the construction of electric fences to prevent human-elephant conflict in 2019 and 2020, but the conflict is out of control, according to the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA).

It has been revealed that Rs. 275,447,639 has been spent for the construction of the electric fences in 2019 to prevent the Human-Elephant conflict. In addition, Rs. 221, 505,818 has been spent in 2020 to construct the electric fences covering a length of 4756 km.

However, as of March 23 this year, 28 human deaths and 83 elephant deaths have been reported from the human-elephant conflict, the Committee learned when the Department of Wildlife Conservation was summoned before the committee.

The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) met under the chairmanship of Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana COPA on Thursday (25).