Residents of Vythiri grama panchayat in Wayanad district under the aegis of an all-party action council is gearing up to launch an indefinite agitation seeking protection from wild animal attacks.
Speaking to the media here, M.V. Vijesh, chairman of the action committee, said wildlife attacks in the panchayat had gone up considerably in recent times, and that it put the lives of villagers in peril.
The presence of nearly 30 wild elephants and tigers in the panchayat, especially in Vattappara, Thalimala, Chelode and Vengakkode areas, had triggered panic among villagers, including plantation workers, students, and farmers, Mr. Vijesh said.
Though the government had proposed a hanging fencing in the Mullambara area at a cost of ₹50 lakh a few years ago, even tender proceedings for the purpose were yet to be completed, he said.
The villagers had called upon the authorities to adopt steps to separate human habitat from the forest, but they were yet to adopt any steps, he added.
The action committee will organise a road blockade on the Kozhikode-Kollegal national highway-766 at Vythri at 10 a.m. on Monday in protest against the alleged negligence on the part of the authorities, he said. Traders in Vythiri town would down shutters on the day expressing solidarity with the agitation, he added.
