Daijiworld Media Network – Sullia

Sullia, Mar 5: The state government has issued an order sanctioning an Elephant Task Force for the Mangaluru forest division in Dakshina Kannada (DK) district.

In recent years, incidents of wild elephant menace have increased in the Uppinangady, Sullia, Beltangady, Puttur, Panja and Subrahmanya ranges under the Mangaluru division. Crop damage cases and incidents of human fatalities have been reported annually. Whenever elephants strayed into human habitation areas, the task force had to be summoned from the Madikeri division, resulting in delays in driving the animals back to the forest.

Considering the situation, the principal chief conservator of forests had submitted a proposal to constitute a separate Elephant Task Force for Dakshina Kannada district under the Mangaluru division. After examining the proposal, the government has now approved the formation of the task force and issued formal orders.

The task force will comprise a total of 28 members, including one deputy range forest officer, two forest guards, and 25 vehicle drivers or equivalent staff on a contract basis.

The headquarters of the Elephant Task Force will be at Sullia. The team will function under the direction of the deputy conservator of forests of the Mangaluru division.