A meeting of Forest officials and villagers chaired by K.U.Janeeshkumar, MLA, in Konni on Saturday has decided to take emergency measures to check wild animal attacks on human habitations along forest fringes in the hilly areas of Konni.
According to the MLA, the panchayat areas of Thattakkudy, Paadom and Thidi in Kalanjoor panchayat were the worst-hit areas. Wild animals straying into these human habitations, destroying crops, attacking people and their cattle, have become common in recent times. A plantation worker was killed by a tiger at Medappara near Thannithode a month ago. The meeting has decided to erect solar fence and trenches along the trouble-prone forest borders, Mr. Janeeshkumar said. A total of ₹24 lakh would be spent for erecting solar fence along this 13.5 km stretch, he said.
This is besides digging of 2.5-metre wide trenches at sensitive points under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, he said.
Shyam Mohanlal, Divisional Forest Officer; M.Manojkumar, grama panchayat president, attended the meeting.
