Following a complaint that wild animals were straying into the inhabited areas of the Nilgiris and killing people and damaging crops in the absence of any protective measures, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to officials concerned of the State government.
The notices have been issued to the Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu and Nilgiris District Collector and the commission sought their reports within eight weeks.
“The commission can very well understand the miserable plight of the populace in the affected areas, living with the dangers of attack by the wild animals. The authorities cannot afford to be mute spectators in such circumstances,” NHRC member Justice D. Murugesan observed in the notices.
According to the complainant, six persons were allegedly killed by tigers and 20 by wild elephants in Ooty town area, Noolpusha, tea plantation at Bitherkkadu, Devarshole, and so on, in the last three years but no action had been taken by the officials concerned.
Citing examples of African countries, where trenches and nets have been used to prevent the entry of the wild animals into human inhabited areas, the complainant urged for protection for the people and their crops from the wild animals in the Nilgiris, an NHRC release stated.
