‘Stop safaris if man-animal conflict cannot be curbed,’ Eshwar Khandre tells officials
Bengaluru: Just days after cutting down the number of safaris at Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves due to rising man-animal conflicts, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre recently warned that safaris could be suspended entirely if the situation does not improve.
Speaking at a coordination meeting with forest, revenue, and police officials at the Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat auditorium, the minister stressed that staff shortages cannot be used as an excuse for the rise in man-animal conflicts in districts hosting the reserve forests. “If there aren’t enough personnel to manage conflict-prone areas, then staff deployed for safari duties must be reassigned,” The Indian Express quoted Khandre as saying.
Highlighting the rise in elephant and tiger populations in the state, the minister noted that expanding forest areas was not feasible. He emphasised that ensuring adequate food sources for wildlife within existing habitats should be the priority.
Commenting on a recent tiger mauling in Saragur, Mysuru district, which claimed a man’s life, Khandre criticised the decision to send the body to Mysuru for a post-mortem instead of conducting it locally. He urged officials to handle such cases with sensitivity and efficiency, ensuring families receive the deceased’s body without unnecessary delay.
“No one should lose their life due to human-wildlife conflict. If such a tragedy occurs, the district administration, police, forest, and health departments must act responsibly and remain present until the funeral to maintain order,” he said.
To address the rising incidents of man-animal conflict, an action plan was announced at the meeting. The plan includes identifying conflict-prone areas and documenting the nature of the issues, deploying staff according to conflict severity, including drawing personnel from nearby ranges if necessary, increasing patrolling, equipping vehicles with GPS, and maintaining patrol registers in border villages, the report added.
The initiative also aims to strengthen community involvement. Officials will conduct regular visits to conflict-affected villages and designate youth and elders as ‘Forest Friends’ to assist in patrolling and wildlife operations. Measures include ensuring 24×7 availability of vehicles and staff in villages near wildlife corridors, as well as organising awareness programs and mock drills for villagers, youth, and children on responding to wildlife encounters.
Furthermore, coordination committees will be established at the district and taluk levels to ensure inter-departmental cooperation, with regular meetings to monitor progress and implement corrective measures.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
