Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has said a special team from Wayanad will reach Idukki in two days to take steps to prevent human-elephant conflicts at Chinnakanal and Santanpara panchayats in the district.
Addressing a special meeting called by District Collector Sheeba George at the Idukki Collectorate on Tuesday, Mr. Saseendran said the expert team led by chief forest veterinary surgeon Arun Zacharia will monitor rogue tuskers that trigger panic in the region. “If required, the elephants will be captured,” said Mr. Saseendran.
“The government will provide job to the unmarried daughter of Shaktivel, a member of an elephant monitoring team who was killed by wild elephants last Wednesday. The forest vigilance wing will probe the complaint that forest officials had shown “disrespect” to the body of Shaktivel. If the officials are found to have been negligent, the department will take action,” said Mr. Saseendran.
The Minister directed the Collector to distribute ration items to the people in the affected areas at their houses. The Collector will arrange a meeting at Santanpara on Wednesday to discuss the matter, said Mr. Saseendran.
“More rapid response teams (RRT) will be set up in the Santanpara-Chinnakanal areas. It has been decided to increase the compensation by 2% for those suffering man-animal-conflict-related incidents,” said Mr. Saseendran.
However, in the meeting, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI(M) leaders demanded immediate capture of rogue tuskers. “The department should capture the wild tuskers Arikomban, Chakkakomban, Mottavalan and Padayappa. Forest officials should change their behaviour,” said M.M. Mani, MLA.
CPI(M) Idukki district secretary C.V. Varghese alleged that forest officials were not really doing their job and were instead “happy with only giving pet names to tuskers” in the district. “The department should implement the Palakkad model of capturing elephants in Idukki as well,” he said.
In the meeting, Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders alleged that the Forest department is following “an anti-human” stand. “Not even a single Kumki elephant (trained elephant) or vehicle has yet reached the district,” they said.
Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine presided over the meeting. Chief Wildlife Warden Ganga Singh, Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose, Peermade MLA Vazhoor Soman, Devikualam MLA A. Raja, and district panchayat president K.T. Binu were among those who attended the meeting.