Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre holds emergency meeting in Bengaluru, orders capture of three trouble-causing elephants in Hassan

Among other things, the Minister felt the need to train plantation workers of the area on avoiding human-elephant conflict. He suggested that officers conduct village-level meetings with the cooperation of local planters and spread awareness on how to handle conflict situations.

Following the death of a woman in an elephant attack in Belur taluk of Hassan district in Karnataka on March 14, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, on March 15, held an emergency meeting with senior officers and instructed them to capture three trouble-causing elephants in Hassan immediately.

The Minister, in the meeting, directed the officers to initiate preparations to capture the elephants that had been roaming in parts of Arehalli and Bikkodu in Belur taluk.

Four persons died in elephant attacks in the last two months in Hassan district. Local people have staged multiple protests demanding the capture and relocation of all elephants roaming in parts of Alur, Belur, Sakleshpur and Arakalgud taluks.

The Minister visited the trouble-hit area on March 3, and interacted with the local people.

The Minister suggested that the officers set up an office of the Elephant Task Force in the affected area of Hassan district, and depute an officer of the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests to handle the human-elephant conflict. He told the officers to procure two drones with thermal cameras to keep track of the movement of elephants. Two more vehicles would be allotted to the rapid response teams, which track herds of elephants and alert the local people.

The Minister felt the need to train plantation workers of the area on avoiding human-elephant conflict. He suggested that officers conduct village-level meetings with the cooperation of local planters and spread awareness on how to handle conflict situations.

He directed the officers to ensure that people hired on a temporary basis to be part of the rapid response teams were getting salary, allowances for uniform, shoes, insurance and other facilities regularly. He told the officers to provide them with walkie-talkies necessary to coordinate with other staff members while working in areas where mobile phone networks fail.