MYSURU: Safari operations that were suspended in the wake of rising man-animal conflict, will resume from Saturday under stringent conditions, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister said Eshwar Khandre on Friday.
Chairing a meeting with officials, he made it clear that conditions laid down in the order must be strictly enforced, and warned that officials would be directly accountable for any violation. Khandre said only 50 per cent of safari vehicles and staffers on duty prior to November 7, would be deployed initially.
Preference should be given to buses for safari operations, while the use of campers and jeeps must be kept to a minimum. Detailed operational guidelines will be included in the official order.
The minister instructed officials to identify vulnerable zones in Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves, where incidents of human-wildlife conflict have been reported. Patrolling must be intensified in such areas to ensure that wild animals do not stray into human habitations, thereby preventing loss of life and crop damage.