The Mysuru Territorial Division of the Forest Department has taken steps to deploy additional staff and security in polling booths in villages marked as prone to human-animal conflicts.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Basavaraju said that parts of Nanjangud, Varuna, and H.D. Kote Assembly segments of Chamarajanagar Parliamentary constituency have been identified as conflict prone areas where human-animal conflicts are high.
To ensure that such conflicts do not affect the voters on the day of the polls, every polling station which is mapped as coming under conflict zone, will be provided with staff drawn from the forest department including the Leopard Task Force. There are 24 such polling booths in Nanjangud, four such polling stations in Varuna, and 23 villages coming under H.D. Kote Assembly segments.
The job of the personnel deputed for providing security is to monitor and maintain vigil from the previous evening of the day of polling till the conclusion of voting the next day.
Both Nanjangud and H.D. Kote have reported a slew of incidents involving tigers, leopards, and elephants which has kept the affected communities on tenterhooks.
Mr.Basavaraju said that the initiative is being replicated across the region where conflicts are high. Further, the unprecedented rise in temperature preceded by lack of adequate rains last year which has resulted in drought, was forcing wild animals to disperse in search of water. “A decision was taken to ensure that there was no trouble during voting by deploying additional staff in conflict-prone villages,” he added.
