The Forest Department has started a toll-free number to receive complaints of wild animals, particularly wild elephants, entering human habitations.
People can call 18004 251314 from any part of the state round-the-clock. This will help forest officials at the district-level rush to the spot at the earliest.
Incidents of wild jumbos entering human habitations in many districts and causing loss of life and property have been on the rise. One of the major complaints of villagers was the delay in the arrival of forest personnel to the spot. People were also facing difficulties in contacting the local forest officials to register complaints regarding wild animals. To address this, the toll-free number has been started, said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Ajay Mishra.
He said once information is passed to the number, it will be passed onto the DCF concerned and the district-level officials will pass it to the range forest officials, who in turn will reach the spot immediately. “The action taken by the local officials has to be informed to senior officials,” he added.
Meeting soon
Meanwhile, Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai will convene a meeting of senior forest officials soon to discuss ways to check the wild elephant menace. The meeting has been called in light of the death of two people by wild elephants in and around Bangalore in the last three to four days. He said on one hand the traditional elephant corridor has disappeared due to encroachment while on the other the elephant population has increased. Now, elephants are coming to areas, which were once free of that problem.