MADIKERI: Karnataka forest minister Umesh Katti confirmed that four tigers are on the prowl across villages of South Kodagu. He toured Kodagu on Friday and collected information on the increasing man-animal conflict in the district. The minister also visited the family of the estate labourer who was killed in a tiger attack recently.
“The mission to capture the tiger that claimed the life of a human is ongoing. I have received information that there are four tigers prowling across the villages of South Kodagu and observation is underway to identify the tiger that killed the labourer,” he confirmed. He added that he is aware of the increasing elephant conflict and tiger menace across South Kodagu.
“Many projects including installation of railway barricades, solar fences and elephant trenches are being undertaken to control the movement of wild elephants and the wild elephant menace will soon find a solution,” said Katti, speaking to media persons. He said that the state government is open to taking suggestions from the people of the district in controlling the tiger menace.
Meanwhile, the minister visited the family of estate labourer Ganesh who was killed in the tiger attack at Rudraguppe village in South Kodagu recently. He handed over the compensation cheque of Rs 5.50 lakh to the victim’s family. He confirmed that the state will release widow pension to the victim’s mother and wife and bear the education cost of the child of the victim.
The minister later took part in a meeting with the public at Aranya Bhavan in Madikeri. However, the Adivasi Girijana community of Thithimathi village expressed anguish after he cancelled his visit to the village. Members of the community had stayed back without reporting for their daily wage jobs on Friday, looking forward to meeting the minister. The community had also readied a memorandum to be submitted to the minister demanding sanction of basic facilities to the settlement. However, the minister did not visit the settlement and returned to Madikeri, causing dissatisfaction among the tribes. Meanwhile, students of Ponnampet Forestry College met the minister and submitted a memorandum demanding cent percent reservation for forestry students in RFO posts of the forest department.