Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav accuses Kerala govt of ‘ignoring’ man-animal conflicts

PTI, Feb 22, 2024, 9:41 AM IST

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday accused the Kerala government and local representatives of ”ignoring” the escalating man-animal conflict in Wayanad district, and himself reviewed the situation and met the affected people.

Wayanad is Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency.

After reviewing recent incidents of man-animal conflict at Pulpally in Wayanad district with senior ministry officials in Delhi, Yadav had said on Tuesday that the Centre remains committed to doing everything it takes to protect human lives and maintain ecological balance.

Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Yadav said: ”The state government and MPs should be working on the issue. The central government has been releasing funds, advisories (to address man-animal conflicts). We believe that while we should be sympathetic towards animals, we should be vigilantly using technology (to prevent such incidents).The Centre has repeatedly emphasised this in its advisories to states.” ”We have given them (state authorities) radio collars for elephants. I will review the situation to ascertain if there are any shortcomings in the vigilance/administrative areas,” he said.

On his way to Wayanad, Yadav visited the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and reviewed the state of man-animal conflicts in the region.

He also discussed steps that could be taken to ensure human-animal coexistence.

He met the families of those killed in man-animal conflicts recently and ensured full support to get their lives back on track.

He also asked members of the BJP’s Kerala unit to extend all possible help to the people in the region to ensure a harmonious man-animal coexistence.

Yadav’s visit comes after Gandhi met with the family members of a forest department watcher who was fatally trampled by a wild elephant in Wayanad.

The BJP’s Kerala unit has raised concerns about wild animals damaging crops and causing harm to life and property. The party has accused Gandhi of neglecting such occurrences.

On Tuesday, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) withdrew from an all-party meeting organised by the government in the southern state to tackle the issue.

The meeting was prompted by the deaths of two men in elephant attacks in the last two weeks, leading to growing public frustration over such incidents.