M. Shivanna, BJP leader and former MLA, flayed the District in-charge Minister H.C. Mahadevappa and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre for their ‘’apathy’’ towards the victims of human-animal conflicts in the region.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, November 8, Mr. Shivanna said that despite an increase in the conflicts with many fatalities, neither the District in-charge Minister nor the Forest Minister have bothered to call on the victims or the people living on the forest fringes.
‘’Neither of them has ventured close to any of the affected villages nor provided adequate security to the people living on the forest fringes and this is condemnable,’’ Mr. Shivanna said.
He said H.D. Kote, Saragur, Nanjangud, and surrounding regions are prone to such conflicts, and the farmers and local community are bearing the brunt of such a situation. Mr. Shivanna said at least 6 to 8 people have lost their lives in different conflict incidents in the last two months and the family members of those killed in such conflicts, are in dire straits. Besides, farmers are unable to freely cultivate their land in the absence of any security and are vulnerable to attacks, he added.
Mr. Shivanna listed as many as 10 incidents in the region in which five persons lost their lives and five others are under treatment due to conflict situations while Forest Department officials have come under attack by the local community.
‘’This is the gravity of the situation and yet none of the Ministers concerned have bothered to pay a visit and apprise themselves of the ground reality and infuse confidence in public,” Mr. Shivanna added.
He attributed the increase in conflicts to a lack of maintenance of elephant-proof trenches in the villages bordering the forests and defunct solar fences that were proving to be ineffective in thwarting elephants from raiding agricultural fields.
He said the government has also not installed rail barricades to prevent elephants from straying into villages and called for scientific approach to deal with human-animal conflicts.