K’taka: Leopard scare forces KRS reservoir closure, tourists dejected

Mandya assistant conservator of forests Mahadeva Swamy said the safety of the people is the utmost priority.

Owing to the leopard scare, the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in the Mandya district of the state has been closed since over two weeks now, people in the know of the matter said on Wednesday. The leopard was first spotted near the reservoir in October third week.

The leopard was first spotted near the reservoir in October third week. (HT Photo)

The closure of the dam has disappointed the thousands of tourists who visit the site daily. Earlier, the forest department instructed the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) officers to ban the entry of tourists after the leopard was spotted in the CCTV installed in the Brindavan gardens.Initially, the entry was banned for tourists for two days. The officials searched for the leopard but were unable to find the wild animal, following which the Brindavan gardens were opened for tourists. However, the leopard was spotted again by the tourists a week later. The CNNL officials then closed the reservoir indefinitely for the public.

The leopard menace has prompted the forest officers to install eight cages across the reservoir apart from installing trap cameras in the region. The reservoir has been closed for public since November 7, which has hurt the businesses of over 200 small businesses and hoteliers who depend on the tourists for their income, people in the know of the matter said.

“Owing to closure of the dam, the tourists are not coming to KRS and don’t want to stay here,” he added.

Another snack shop owner, Paramesh who goes by one name, said that his livelihood was severely affected due to the closure. “We have been urging forest officials to open the gardens for public by deploying more staff, but they don’t pay heed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mandya assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Mahadeva Swamy said the safety of the people is the utmost priority.

“The safety of the people is more important for us. The leopard was sighted on the CCTV but we could not capture it. The entry will be allowed only after we catch the animal,” Swamy said.

“On Saturday, we had launched the combing operation in the entire area. We installed six camera traps, have put eight cages so far but could not trace the leopard. Any attack could happen, so we are taking extra care for the safety of the people,” he added.