Kerala declares human-wildlife conflict a ‘state-specific disaster’ after recent fatalities, sets up committees and measures to address issue.
The Kerala cabinet on Wednesday decided to declare human-wildlife conflict as a ‘state-specific disaster’ in the wake of recent spurt in human fatalities in wild animal attacks and announced several measures to mitigate the issue.
At least three people were reported killed in wild animal encounters in the state this week alone, triggering huge protests by locals and opposition parties in those areas. While Indira Ramakrishnan and Valsala were stomped to death by wild elephants in Idukki and Thrissur districts respectively, a farmer named Abraham was killed in a wild gaur attack in Kozhikode district.
A note from the office of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the cabinet decided to involve the state disaster management authority in coordination with other government departments in finding solutions to the vexing problem. Committees will be formed at the state, district and grassroot level and responsibilities and modes of operations will be finalised soon.
“The state-level committee will have the chief minister as the president, chief secretary as the convenor and ministers of forests, revenue, local self-government institutions and SC/ST welfare as members. This committee will provide essential directions at the state-level,” the CMO statement said.
Another control committee will be set up at the state level with chief secretary as the president and secretaries of home, revenue, forest, LSG, SC/ST, agriculture departments, head of forest department, PCCF and chief wildlife warden and member secretary of disaster management department as members.
The government decided to appoint the Chief Wildlife Warden as the nodal officer for the human-wildlife conflict and set up a control room at the headquarters of the forest department with adequate communication facilities.
Among other measures announced by the cabinet on Wednesday are appointing more temporary watchers in areas inhabitated by people where wild animal attacks are frequent, clearing dense vegetation in private estates, plantations close to actual forests, strengthening rapid response teams with more personnel, equipment and vehicles, formation of special alert committees at forest stations and ensuring adequate water supply within forests for wild animals.
It was also decided to convene meetings with officials of neighbouring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as part of building coordination in mitigating the conflict.
Meanwhile, late on Wednesday, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) issued an order to kill the gaur that killed a farmer in Kakkayam in Kozhikode district. The order was issued following huge protests by locals in the area that have been complaining of gaur attacks for the past few years. Several meetings were held in the presence of the district collector and the forest minister to address the demands of the family members of the victim and the locals.
