Illegal Power Lines In Atmakur Division Threatening Wildlife In NSTR

Deputy director of NSTR Atmakur division G. Vignesh Appavu highlighted the dangers of such power lines during a high-level coordination meeting held at the Eco-Tourism Centre in the Bairluty camp within the Nallamala forest.

The meeting brought together officials of the Project Tiger (Atmakur division) and the electricity department to address the illegal installation of electric lines in the fringe areas of the forest, which are endangering both wildlife and humans.

At the meeting, deputy director Vignesh explained the ecological importance of the tiger reserve. He stressed the need for close coordination between the forest and electricity departments to protect biodiversity in the Nallamala region.
Conservation expert Imran Siddique of HyTiCoS, Hyderabad, who addressed the meeting, highlighted how poachers are exploiting illegal electric connections near agricultural fields and fringe villages to trap and kill wild animals. He pointed out that electrocution-based poaching is turning out to be a serious concern in the region.

At the meeting, both the forest and electricity departments agreed to create a dedicated WhatsApp group for quick reporting of activity, including sagging or dropping electric lines that may indicate illegal setups.
The NSTR deputy director requested electricity officials to immediately remove illegal poles and unauthorised power connections from areas that wildlife can stray into. This would check poachers from causing harm to wildlife.

Vignesh proposed joint awareness programmes in high-risk v