Green Minute News:
The process for recruitment of 540 forest guards has started in Karnataka. Forest, Ecology & Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre informed the Legislative Council on Monday.
Steps have been initiated to address the shortage of frontline personnel staff in the Karnataka Forest Department. In view of this, 310 forest watchers have already been recruited, and now the process of recruiting 540 forest guards (beat foresters) is in progress, said Eshwar B Khandre.
It is a very painful matter that a mother tiger and her four cubs died of poisoning in the Male Mahadeshwar Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in June, this year.
Legal action has already been taken against the guilty under the Wildlife Protection Act. The Deputy Zonal Forest Officer and other officers and staff who failed to pay the outsourced frontline staff on time have been suspended, he said and added that investigation is going on.
Replying to a question from S Keshav Prasad in the Legislative Council, the Forest Minister said that Rs. 20 lakh is currently being provided as compensation to those who died in wildlife attacks, including wild elephant attacks and tiger attacks. He informed that Rs. 2 lakh is being provided as compensation by the Agriculture Department to those who died in snake bites.
With rise in the population of wildlife in the state, even incidents of conflict have increased. The state government has taken steps to control and manage the recurring human-wildlife conflicts.
Eshwar Khandre further added, “It has been suggested to sanction a separate elephant task force for Dakshina Kannada district.”
This will be officially announced in two or three days. There will be 32 personnel in this force. They will help in the elephant operations as well as curbing the poaching activities in this district.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to conduct a study for elephant corridor and habitat conservation, and Prof. R Sukumar’s team has started the study, the Forest Minister informed.
Replying to another question, the minister said that the government has given priority to the construction of railway barricades to control elephant-human conflict. He said that the government will respond to the problems of the people of Ramanagara (Bangalore South) district. There is a demand from many quarters to build an elephant camp. This issue will be examined.
The Forest Minister said it has come to the notice of the government that damage to crops caused by monkeys has risen and so, instructions will be issued to catch the monkeys.