JOIN USCore committee to tackle increasing jumbo menace
The decision was taken at a meeting convened at the deputy commissioner’s office here on Saturday.
The recent incident of forest department officials being locked up in a school by villagers of Anagalale in Belur taluk, where a herd of jumbos had strayed, is said to have been the reason for the meeting to be convened.
Deputy commissioner K G Jagadish disclosed that the core committee would be formed in a couple of days and a meeting would also be held to discuss the issues prevailing in the region. Opinions from forest department, non-governmental organisations and citizens would be included in the report, he added.
Objection
At the beginning of the meeting, district planters’ association president Udaykumar raised objections to the functioning style of the district administration and forest department.
He said that during the last 25 years, 48 people had been killed due to elephant attacks. However, the government failed to respond to the grievances of the public.
Even though several meetings were held, no substantial decision was undertaken. He said the public had lost faith in the committees that would be formed.
Despite submission of the Aiyappa report in 2007 to the government, none of the recommendations have been implemented.
Transferring one or two elephants every year is not a solution to the problem.
If the government wants to provide a permanent solution then it has to implement the Aiyappa report, he added.
The government shouldn’t object to gun licences demanded by farmers in the region, he demanded.
Meetings - a failure
Former MLA H M Vishwanath opined that conducting meetings wouldn’t provide a solution to the issue. Several meetings have been held in the Legislative Assembly regarding the issue, but the government has failed to take appropriate measures. While the state government is failing to take measures, the district administration can’t do much about the issue, he remarked.
A meeting should be chaired by the chief minister comprising the local MP and former prime minister H D Devegowda and a clear policy has to be enforced. The Centre should be pressurised to provide a solution to the issue, he said.
On one hand, the government talks about rehabilitating farmers and on the other gives permission to construct hydro-electric projects. Such policies won’t help in addressing the issue. All power projects in the Western Ghats have to be scrapped.
Elephant corridors
Malenadu Janapara Abhivrudhi Vedike president Kishore said the situation is completely different in Alur and Sakleshpur. The only solution to solve the problem in Alur is rehabilitating elephants to other areas. But in Sakleshpur, land should be acquired from farmers and an elephant corridor has to be established.Environmentalist H P Mohan, Athihalli Devaraj and others also gave their suggestions concerning the issue.
MLA’s ire
MLA H K Kumaraswamy opined that even though the meeting couldn’t provide permanent solutions, the district administration should give temporary solutions. Despite repeated requests to provide bus services to rural areas, transport department officials have failed to listen to the woes of the people. In areas with high elephant density, no measures have been taken to install streetlights too, he said wryly.
Superintendent of police Amit Singh, DFO Ambadi Madhav, ACF Chandregowda and others participated in the meeting.
Jumbo solutions
* Deny permission to power projects in Western Ghats.
* Provide compensation at a faster pace.
* Give attention to rehabilitation of farmers.
* Need to put pressure on Centre.
* Elephant corridor is necessary.
* Provide temporary solutions.