Chennai, Jan 25 (BPNS)
The forest department of Tamil Nadu is in the process of wire fencing 5 km area in the Denkanikottai forest range of Krishnagiri district after a 35-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant on Monday. This is the third death by elephant attack in this month in Denkanikottai forest range.
C . Sankaramma (35) of Saapranapalli village was trampled to death by a tusker on Monday at 11 am near a lake at Seenivasapuram village while she was returning home collecting firewood and other forest produce.
Forest range officer of the Denkanikottai, Murugan while speaking to IANS said, “ She was returning home to her Saapranapalli village when the tusker attacked her near Seenivasapuram village according to local people. The body was sent to General Hospital and confirmed that death was due to the attack by the wild tusker.”
This is the third incident of people dying due to an attack by wild elephants in Denkanikottai forest range.
On January 15, a 47-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Kempakarai and on January 5th a 27-year-old man was killed by a wild elephant.
Forest department said that in addition to wire fencing 5 km area in the conflict areas in forest range, the department is also conducting awareness programme among the villagers on elephant movement. Villagers of Saapranapalli and Sreenivasapuram villages will be given awareness classes on the movement of elephants and what precautions should be taken to prevent such attacks in the future will be taught in the awareness classes.
Hosur district Forest officer Karthikeyan and forest range officer Murugan will lead the classes to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. The state forest department is on high alert following the back-to-back attack and killings of humans by the wild elephants.
The forest department handed over a solatium of Rs 50,000 to the family of the deceased Sankaramma as immediate assistance. The department has already announced an amount of Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the families of people who die in the attack of wild animals and the balance of 4.5 lakh rupees due to the family of Sankaramma will be handed over on producing the necessary documents.