Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120453030300.htm

Karnataka - Hassan

ZP expresses concern over elephant attacks

Staff Correspondent

More Forest Department officials sought in Madihalli

Worried: H.K. Kumaraswamy, MLA, speaking at the zilla panchayat meeting in Hassan on Wednesday.

HASSAN: Several zilla panchayat members have expressed concern over the delay in relocating wild elephants that have created havoc in Alur taluk.

Addressing a general body meeting of the panchayat here on Wednesday, they said a detailed letter would be sent to the Union Government seeking permission to capture all the elephants.

Initiating the debate, former Minister and Sakleshpur MLA H.K. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (S) expressed concern over the repeated elephant attacks.

Arsikere MLA Shivalinge Gowda wanted more Forest Department officials to be posted at Madihalli and surrounding villages where elephants were on the prowl. “If elephants are electrocuted, cases are registered against farmers. If cases are to be registered, they should be against the Forest Department, for inaction. The department has been filing cases against farmers to cover up for its inadequacies. Children are not coming out of their houses in these villages for fear of being attacked,” he said.

Animal welfare

Zilla panchayat president C.N. Balakrishna too expressed concern over the attacks as well as at the electrocution of the animals. He said the panchayat would write to the Government seeking a meeting of senior officers at Hassan as well as at Bangalore for further action.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Balakrishna said the elephant menace was prevalent in 200 villages in Alur and Arkalgud taluks. A proposal had been sent to the Government seeking permission to relocate all of them.