TIRUPATI: A 70-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a lone wild elephant in the early hours of Thursday at Venkatesapuram village in Kuppam mandal, Chittoor district, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan to order enhanced alerting systems for villagers.
The deceased was identified as Kittappa, son of Chinnappa, a resident of Venkatesapuram village under Mallukunta Panchayat and Kuppam Rural Police Station jurisdiction. His body was discovered around 3 am in a hut at his field, located near the Reserved Forest boundary—about 500 metres away—and roughly three kilometres from the Tamil Nadu border.
According to Kuppam forest officials, the elephant, identified as a “loner,” had crossed over from Tamil Nadu and later returned.
The Forest Department confirmed coordination with the Krishnagiri Range in Tamil Nadu regarding its movements. Officials added that their elephant tracker team had alerted villagers about the animal’s presence the previous night.
The incident occurred when Kittappa reportedly went to his field late at night and stayed in the hut. Local police have been informed, and patrolling in the area has been intensified.
The incident came to the attention of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who also holds the Forest and Environment portfolio.
He discussed the matter with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and other officials on Thursday morning.
Expressing deep condolences to the bereaved family, the Deputy CM immediately directed the swift disbursement of Rs 10 lakh in financial assistance to Kittappa’s family.
Forest officials said the same elephant had reportedly caused fatalities earlier in the Tamil Nadu forest area. They confirmed that immediate alerts were issued to nearby villages as soon as the elephant was tracked entering Andhra Pradesh territory. Responding to officials, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan emphasised the need to strengthen the pre-warning system.
He instructed them to adopt a more comprehensive approach, saying, “Expand the advance warnings further. Create social media groups for villages and farmers, and send not just text messages, but also voice messages to these groups. This will ensure the information reaches them quickly.”