Forest Department moves to tackle a jumbo problem

Awareness campaign planned in affected villages

Alarming situation: Elephants entering paddy fields recently near LN Peta of Srikakulam district.

The Forest Department has decided to organise awareness programmes for villagers who are being affected by the movement of elephants.

The department is also planning to appoint more number of elephant trackers who have absolute knowledge about geographic conditions of the forest area which has spread in 11 mandals, including Veeraghattam, Palakonda, Kotturu and others.

The elephants recently killed one person near Kotthur, causing uproar among people.

Srikakulam District Forest Officer Ch. Santhi Swaroop asked the forest range officials to hold meetings with the villagers frequently to explain safety measures to be adopted to save themselves from elephants apart from standing crops.

Meanwhile, Green Mercy Animal Welfare Organisation urged the government to conduct awareness programmes among the tribal persons about the elephant psychology and protection techniques to avoid human-animal conflict in the district.

‘Throw shirts’

Organisation’s executive director K.V. Ramana Murthy said that people who would come closely to wild animals should remove their shirts and throw them in opposite direction to mislead the wild animals. “The animals move after observation of the smell. Removal of shirt and other garments will confuse animals, while allowing people to save themselves,” he said. “Beating of drums and showing of torches would prevent their entry into habitations,” he added.

Compensation petitions

He urged the government to solve the compensation petitions as early as possible so that people would not develop vengeance against the wild elephants.

“The protection of remaining elephants is possible only with the support of tribal persons. Their support can be assured when their legitimate demand for compensation is accepted within a stipulated time,” said Mr. Ramana Murthy.