Pawan Directs Officials To Drive Elephants Back Into Forest
The Deputy Chief minister held a review meeting with senior Forest officials on Monday over the movement of elephants: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan directed officials to take steps to drive back into the forest a herd of elephants moving near Padiputlabylu in Chittoor district, with the help of kumki elephants brought from the Musalamadugu elephant camp.
The Deputy Chief minister held a review meeting with senior Forest officials on Monday over the movement of elephants near Padiputlabylu. Speaking on the occasion, he stressed the need to rope in HANUMAN teams and personnel from the Police, Revenue and Energy departments to keep a close watch on the elephants' movement and prevent any man-elephant conflict.
He said that over the past 15 days, a herd of 11 elephants and another herd of two elephants, which had separated from the first herd, had been moving in the Padiputlabylu panchayat area. The elephants had entered villages such as Pundlavallapalli, Nadimpalli and Kondakindapalli, damaging crops and causing distress among farmers.
Expressing concern that their uncontrolled movement could endanger the safety of people living in mandals such as Pakala, Pulicherla and Chandragiri, Pawan Kalyan directed officials to remain on high alert and closely track the elephants' movement. He also asked them to coordinate with HANUMAN teams and alert people to avoid encounters with the pachyderms.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that the elephants were safely driven back into the forests and instructed them to provide compensation to farmers who suffered crop damage or loss due to the elephants' movement.
