Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendar Yadav during his visit to Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district, on Wednesday. Bandipur Tiger Project director P Ramesh Kumar is also seen.
Credit: DH Photo
Gundlupet: Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendar Yadav visited Bandipur Tiger Reserve and held a meeting with the officials on the measures taken to prevent wildfire and also man-animal conflict, on Wednesday.
Chairing the meeting, the Minister said, "The wild animals have no borders like Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Hence, the Forest department officials should protect the wild animals, irrespective of border issues. Besides, it is important to establish railway barricade fencing to prevent wild animals straying into villages".
With summer setting in, the department should take the locals into confidence for protection of forest and prevent wildfire incidents. Those affected due to wild animal attack should be disbursed compensation at the earliest, he said.
The Nilgiri biosphere range shares borders spreading across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states. Along with protecting the forest, the officials should also protect the wild animals, he stressed.
Bandipur Tiger Project director P Ramesh Kumar said, "Bandipur Tiger Reserve is in second place in tiger population, and is in first place in elephant census. Besides, new programmes like Yuva Mitra and Raitha Mitra have been implemented".
He also explained that a meeting has been held with the tribals living in the forest borders and have directed them to be cautious on wildfire incidents.
PCCF Subhash Malkhede, CCF Mysuru Circle Malathi Priya, Forest department ADGP Yadav, Jitendra Singh, BRT Tiger Reserve DCF Deep J Contractor and others were present.
Minister Bhupender Yadav left for Wayanad, Kerala, after the meeting and met the family members of the elephant attack victim there.