VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister (Forest and Environment) Konidela Pawan Kalyan has directed forest officials to alert and reassure people in areas near Chandragiri following the movement of an elephant herd at Erravaripalem in Tirupati district.
During a teleconference with forest officials on Sunday, Pawan Kalyan reviewed reports that elephants from the Seshachalam forest area were moving in two groups and damaging crops in agricultural fields along the forest fringes during night.
He directed them to continuously monitor elephant movement, and use drones to track their routes. He instructed the authorities to provide timely information to people in nearby villages and take all precautionary measures to prevent loss of life and property.
Pawan Kalyan urged the forest, revenue and police departments to work in coordination and strengthen night patrol in villages located close to forest areas.
Officials were asked to create awareness among villagers and advise them not to venture into agricultural fields at night in vulnerable areas.
He also directed authorities to issue alerts through public address system, mobile messages and local information networks. The situation should be reviewed regularly and HANUMAN teams should be deployed wherever necessary to ensure public safety, he said.