In the wake of increasing wild elephant menace in the forest areas of Kasaragod, demand is rife for strengthening the Rapid Response Team (RRT) which has been struggling due to staff shortage.
In a recent operation, the Karadka block panchayat had to come up with special task forces, which included local people, in association with the Forest Department to chase away elephants.
Besides tackling elephant menace, the RRT also attends to rescue calls coming from across the district.
Though the RRT should have at least a deputy ranger, three foresters, four forest guards, six watchers, and two drivers, the team is now forced to work with just three foresters, two watchers, and a driver.
‘Ill-equipped’
“There is hardly any time to rest and the team has to be always prepared to attend to rescue calls,” said forester M.P. Raju, who has been part of the RRT for the past two years.
“We just have a handful of crackers and a torch for chasing away marauding elephants. We are totally ill-equipped,” he said. The team was unable to use crackers now because of rain, he added.
Elephant herds enter the forests here from Karnataka.
People have homes and crop cultivation on private land along the 23-km forest between Kasaragod and Kanhangad range. “When we chase away an elephant into the forest from one private area, they end up entering another private land on the other side of the forest,” he said.
People call for help from two different places at the same time, says Jayakumar, another forester in the RRT.
“How can we go for rescue operations at several places with such a small team and chase away elephants. Now, our operations begin at night and go on through the day, without rest and food,” he said.
Tackling wild pig and gaur attacks and rescuing snakes from houses are also part of their duty.
Kasaragod Forest Ranger T. Soloman Thomas George said that there was a need for sufficient staff and vehicles as the amount of work was taking a toll on the staff.
Most of the issues are at Bandadka and Karadka sections near the Karnataka forest. The trenches and hanging fences along one kilometre at Puliparamba have helped prevent the entry of elephants to some extent. However, an alert RRT is needed to chase away elephants from private land.
Mr. George said they receive at least 300 applications every year seeking compensation for losses occurring due to man-animal conflict. The majority of them are due to elephants raiding cultivation areas.
He said the issue has been raised before the Forest Minister who has promised to increase the staff strength in the RRT and also provide more facilities to the team.
