The Forest Department has called upon devotees on a padayatra to Dharmasthala to be careful while crossing Shiradi Ghat, where the movement of elephants has been noticed recently. Hundreds of people from different parts of the State are walking to Dharmasthala to take part in the Maha Shivaratri festival at the pilgrimage centre.
K.N. Basavaraj, Deputy Conservator of Forests of Hassan, issued a press release on Monday, suggesting that the devotees have to be in groups while crossing the stretch. They should follow the signboards put up by the department on roadsides and avoid journeying at night.
Recently, a truck driver was killed by a tusker on the Shiradi Ghat stretch. The officers and locals noticed the movement of a herd around Kempuhole. The movement of vehicles was also affected recently when a tusker blocked the road.
