BENGALURU: Union Minister of Environment Prakash Javadekar directed heads of all forest department of all states to ensure that the Kerala elephant tragedy does not repeat anywhere else.
Speaking to forest officials on Friday as part of World Environment Day, through video conference, he said he was shocked with what had happened in Kerala.
Karnataka’s forest officials assured the minister that they were taking all measures to ensure such an incident does not happen in the state. The forest officials said, “We have issued directions to all staffers to undertake extensive patrolling and search for meat bombs. Staffers have also been told to keep a close watch on areas where there are man-elephant conflicts and villages abutting forest boundaries.” Javadekar also directed all states to take up the ‘Nagara Vanas’ (urban forests) project. Karnataka has been given a target of creating 200 in the state.