Elephant Kills Farmer in Kuppam, Pawan Orders Rs 10 Lakh Relief

Tirupati: A 64-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Kurmanipalli village in Kuppam mandal, Chittoor district, in the early hours of Thursday. The incident occurred in Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s constituency, where elephant movement has been a persistent concern.

The victim, Kittappa, had been sleeping in a hut in his ragi field to protect the crop from wild boars. Around 3 a.m., a lone elephant entered the field, damaged the crop, and moved towards the hut. When Kittappa shouted to alert neighbours, the elephant turned and trampled him.

Forest officials and police reached the spot, inspected the area, and began tracking the elephant’s route using fresh footprints to safeguard nearby habitations.

Deputy Chief Minister and forest minister K. Pawan Kalyan reviewed the incident with senior forest officials and directed immediate release of `10 lakh ex gratia to the bereaved family. Officials informed him that the elephant had crossed over from the Tamil Nadu forest region and had been involved in earlier incidents there.

Pawan said the tragedy underscored the need for stronger early-warning systems. He instructed the department to expand alert networks across all forest-bordering villages and ensure warnings reach residents without delay. He suggested village-level social media groups for instant text and voice alerts, and called for a review of monitoring systems and improved field-level coordination to prevent further casualties.