SOP scheme to curb man-animal conflict

Tricomni

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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BANGALORE: To control the man-animal conflicts increasing in the state, the forest department is planning to introduce new schemes..

BANGALORE: To control the man-animal conflicts increasing in the state, the forest department is planning to introduce new schemes. As a first step, the department is planning to prepare standard operation procedures (SOPs) and to implement them in six districts which are more prone to animal invasion.
"Conservators of forests in these six sensitive districts have been directed to prepare standard operation procedure (SOPs) and meet requirements to tackle the menace" said, Swaminath M H, Additional Principal Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).The six sensitive districts includes Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya, Chamrajnagar, Kollegal and Hassan. According to the need, the scheme will be expanded to other districts, he said.

The recent incident at Mysore seems to be an eyeopener to the department.

In addition, lack of trained people to handle mananimal conflict has another major concern to the forest officials. "We have also asked the conservators to prepare a module for training people to handle any such unforeseen incident. After the SOPs are ready, they will have to send it to us for approval" he added. Recounting the Mysore incident and how the ropes had helped the forest officials, Swaminath said, "The immediate availability of threefour sets of ropes helped the officials to catch the elephants and put them back to the forest. In situations like these, such ropes are very helpful and it is prepared only by few people."

"Officers are working, in another 1530 days the SOPs will be ready" he said.