BENGALURU: Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Monday refuted BJP MLC Pratap Simha Nayak’s claim that the state government is giving compensation to the kin of people of Kerala in border areas killed or injured in wild animal attacks.
Replying during Question Hour in the Legislative Council, Khandre said the government has not given a single rupee as compensation to the kin of those from Kerala killed or injured in such attacks.
He said 13 deaths due to elephant attacks have been reported in the state since this April. The government has erected rail barricades covering over 116 km to prevent elephants and other wild animals from straying into human habitats from the forests. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has permitted the forest department to erect such barricades up to 200 km. “We have sent a proposal to the finance department as per km of rail barricade will cost Rs 1.25 crore. There is a need for another 300 km rail barricade in the state,” he added.
To prevent man-animal conflict, the forest department has erected tentacle fences covering 1,300 km of forest areas. Kodagu reported most cases of elephant deaths compared to Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Hassan, Mandya, Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Ramanagara, Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada districts, he said.
Khandre said Karnataka tops the list of states in terms of number of elephants with 6,395. It is second in terms of tiger numbers with 300 big cats.
“In Kodagu, 114 elephants live outside the forests (in coffee estates) and in Hassan district, there are 60 such elephants. The government has increased the compensation given to the kin of those killed in elephant attacks from Rs 15 lakh to 20 lakh. Forest officials have been instructed to capture rogue elephants,” Khandre said.