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48-yr-old woman killed in elephant attack in Karnataka
Locals say unless the government takes effective steps to prevent the entry of wild elephants into human habitats, the conflict will continue.
Bengaluru
A woman was killed in an elephant attack at Hosuru Bettageri village in Virajpet taluk in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, forest officials said on Thursday .
The woman, identified as Mollera Rathna (48), a labourer in a coffee estate, was trampled by the elephant while she was going to fetch provisions for her home.
“The incident occurred on Wednesday at around 6.40 pm when the victim was going to the provision shop,” Virajpet deputy conservator of forests (DCF) Sharana Basappa told HT.
“The elephant might have come from Dubare or Chennangi reserve forest; our elephant task force officials are situated on the border of forests, but the incident occurred five kilometers from their presence,” he added.
“On Thursday, we handed over a cheque worth ₹15 lakh to the family members and would provide a monthly pension of ₹4,000 to the family for five years. We have written to the state government to erect a railway barricade fence and are yet to receive funds,” he said.
The incident sparked outrage among the local villagers, who are pointing fingers at the alleged negligence of forest officials. The villagers claim to have made numerous calls to the forest officials, expressing their concerns about the presence of elephants in the vicinity. The locals assert that their calls went unanswered, leading to tragic consequences.
“Wild elephants are destroying crops worth lakhs of rupees worth every night, but forest officials are not responding properly,” B N Bopaiah, a coffee grower in Ammathi, said. “Unless the government provides a permanent solution to prevent the entry of wild elephants into human habitats, the conflict will continue, resulting in the deaths of humans as well as elephants,” he added.
Knowing about the incident, Virajpet MLA A S Ponnanna visited the spot to console the grieving family. The MLA directed forest officials to conduct immediate elephant operations in the area to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. The MLA assured the villagers that stringent measures would be taken to enhance the safety of residents and prevent elephant attacks.
