By our Special Correspondent
Mananthavady, Feb 11 (IVC) A highly tense situation was prevailing at Mananthavady under Begur Forest Range in the North Wynad Forest Division following failure of controlling a wild elephant who killed a young man on Feb 10 early morning, by the forest protection force Tension prevailed at Mananthavady after public rage over the death of a 45-year-old Aji in a wild elephant attack yesterday early morning, police said.
The marauding elephant chased Aji, the sole bread earner of the family, into the house compound at Padmala and trampled him to death.
The ill-fated Aji was returning home after meeting daily wages workers on the morning of February 10. The protestors described the situation as dreadful at Mananthavady today too for the forest protection forces and policemen neglected in controlling the angry wild elephant and failed in giving protection to life and property of over 40 families of the area.
They said that it was a clear case of neglect on the part of the appropriate authorities to bring the elephant under control as it was a radio-collared wild elephant. The protestors shouted at the authorities for failure either to catch the elephant, apply Captor-gun with sedatives or kill the animal to protect the life and property of over 40 families .
The efforts of the authorities to bring the animal under control stopped for the day as the elephant went into the thick forest and hence it would not practicable to apply Captor-gun with sedative and control the elephant today. The efforts for controlling the elephant would be continued, the official sources said.
Within two hours the signal of the position of the elephant would be available, the sources added. To bring the tense situation under control , the Wynad Sub-collector and Revenue Divisional Office , Vishal Sagar Bharath imposed yesterday itself Section 144 of the Code Criminal Procedure in certain divisions of Mananthavady municipality after the elephant triggered panic among residents of Kurukan Moola, kuruva Kadankolly and Payyampally.
The protestors raised slogans against forest department , accusing wildlife laws enforcers of failing to turn away the radio -collared elephant from venturing into human habitations. Later the mob intensified their protest with the body of the farmer in Mananthavady town .
Wynad District Collector, Renu Raj was detained by the protestors raising the demands of at least Rs 50 lakh as compensation and other benefits. Later at an all-party meeting Chaired by the Collector, it was decided to provide emergency financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family on Feb 12. A government employment would provided to the wife of the deceased, the government would bear the expenses for higher education of his children and adopt steps to waive the bank loans of the deceased, Ms Renu Raj said after the meeting.
The officials and people’s representatives will urge the government to provide compensation of Rs 40 lakh to the kin she said. Despite the compensation and benefits offered by the authorities, the protestors intensified their agitation today also from morning onwards and the protest was continuing till the time of writing this.
