Madhu Bangarappa in favour of special team to handle human-elephant conflict in Shivamogga

Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa is in favour of a special team to handle human-elephant conflicts in Shivamogga, on the lines of the elephant task force active in neighbouring Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts.

After discussing incidents of conflict in parts of the district at a review meeting in Shivamogga on November 28, the Minister said that he would raise the issue at the State level and ensure a special team is assigned to monitor the movement of wild elephants and prevent them from entering human habitats.

At the meeting, legislators Beluru Gopala Krishna, Araga Jnanendra, and Sharada Puryanaik raised the issue of human-elephant conflicts in their respective constituencies. They alleged that the officers had not taken any measures to stop elephants from entering human habitats. Many farmers suffered huge losses as wild elephants damaged their crops. In some areas, the animals damaged water pipelines in farm fields, they stated.

Prasanna Krishna Patagar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), stated that the staff had been addressing the conflict since June this year. “They have been doing rounds day and night. Besides that, we have put up elephant-proof trenches and also taken up measures to install solar tentacles to prevent elephants from entering human habitats,” he explained to the participants in the meeting.

Doctors for rural service

The non-availability of doctors to serve in rural areas also came up for discussion during the meeting. Mr. Gopala Krishna, Sagar MLA, said that in his constituencies, the primary health centres in places such as Byakodu and Nittur had no doctors. Even after his repeated efforts, nobody had turned up to serve.

Health Department officials said that doctors, who were posted as part of the compulsory rural service scheme, did not go to the centres mentioned. Mr. Bangarappa suggested that they should identify and post doctors who will commit to the cause. “The State government will bring in a policy to strengthen the health system in rural areas,” he added.