Farmer Trampled To Death As Wild Elephant Threat Escalates In Chittoor
4 Jun 2025 9:22 PM IST4 Jun 2025 9:22 PM IST
Farmer trampled to death by wild elephant in Chittoor, sparking renewed concerns over human-animal conflict; officials promise stronger preventive action.
Villagers mourn farmer killed by wild elephant; forest teams deploy tech and trackers as conflict escalates in Chittoor. (Image:DC)
Tirupati: Wild elephants killed a 55-year-old farmer at Nagavandlapalli village in Irala mandal of Chittoor district on Tuesday night. The death reignites concerns over the increasing frequency of wild elephant intrusions in the undivided Chittoor district.
Ganapathi Yadav had been sleeping at his farmland when he noticed a herd of elephants entering his field. In a bid to protect his crop, he attempted to drive them away. One of the elephants trampled him.
The incident, happening within the Puthalapattu Assembly constituency, has sparked panic among local residents. They are now hesitant to venture into their fields after dark. Puthalapattu MLA K. Murali Mohan visited the bereaved family and said, “The victim’s family will receive compensation. I will personally take up the matter with forest authorities to strengthen preventive measures,” he underlined.
According to official records, wild elephant attacks have claimed the lives of around 25 people in the region since 2011. Compensation for victims’ families has been doubled from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh by the N. Chandrababu Naidu administration. Between 2015 and 2024, crops over 203 acres have been damaged by wild elephants. ₹56 lakh out of ₹76 lakh sanctioned have been disbursed as compensation.
Locals allege that despite the presence of trained kumki elephants Vinayaka and Jayant, and recent procurement of additional elephants from Karnataka, forest department has not utilised them effectively to deal with the wild elephant menace.
A senior forest official acknowledged that a herd of approximately 15 elephants has been active in the region for the past three months, repeatedly damaging agricultural land. “A report has been submitted to the government. We are working on enhancing protective measures,” he maintained.
Forest officials have dismissed allegations of inaction, pointing out that a special task force has been deployed to track and manage elephant movements. The team includes forest officers from Chittoor and Tirupati districts, sub-divisional forest officers, range officers and 10 trained elephant trackers.
According to official records, wild elephant attacks have claimed the lives of around 25 people in the region since 2011. Compensation for victims’ families has been doubled from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh by the N. Chandrababu Naidu administration. Between 2015 and 2024, crops over 203 acres have been damaged by wild elephants. ₹56 lakh out of ₹76 lakh sanctioned have been disbursed as compensation.
Locals allege that despite the presence of trained kumki elephants Vinayaka and Jayant, and recent procurement of additional elephants from Karnataka, forest department has not utilised them effectively to deal with the wild elephant menace.
A senior forest official acknowledged that a herd of approximately 15 elephants has been active in the region for the past three months, repeatedly damaging agricultural land. “A report has been submitted to the government. We are working on enhancing protective measures,” he maintained.
Forest officials have dismissed allegations of inaction, pointing out that a special task force has been deployed to track and manage elephant movements. The team includes forest officers from Chittoor and Tirupati districts, sub-divisional forest officers, range officers and 10 trained elephant trackers.
“To provide timely alerts to residents in forest-bordering villages, we have implemented a Smart Virtual Fencing system,” said a forest officer. “This system uses solar-powered GSM and GPS technology linked to the Tirupati Command Control Room. This enables real-time monitoring of elephant movement and swift response by local teams,” the forest officer added.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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