Two Kumki elephants will be brought from Karnataka to control wild elephants in Parvathipuram-Manyam district

Exclusive elephant zone planned to control wild elephants causing damage to crops and harm to humans in the district.

PARVATHIPURAM

Parvathipuram-Manyam district administration has been trying to bring two Kumki elephants from Karnataka to control the wild elephants which have been causing tension among the people living in several mandals of the district. The trained kumki elephants would guide the wild elephants back to the forest and prevent damage to crops as well as any harm to human beings.

The officials planned to create an exclusive shelter zone near Gutchmi village of Seethanagaram mandal of the district.

The trained elephants will stay in around 100 acres of land and extend their services whenever required to control the wild elephants. As many as six elephants have been moving in Gummalakshmipuram, Kurupam, Parvathipuram-Manyam and other zones of the district. As many as ten persons were killed and thousands of acres of crops got damaged due to the wild animals in the last few years.

An exclusive elephant zone was planned earlier but it could not be executed due to the distribution of over 78,000 acres of land to farmers and tribals in the areas. They have constructed houses and took up agricultural activity in the land. In this background, Collector A. Shyam Prasad took the initiative and sent forest personnel for special training in handling Kumki elephants.

“The government would spend around ₹2 crore for the creation of shelter, dedicated food, water and other facilities as they would stay here for a long time. Within a couple of months, the Kumki elephants may come to the district. Their help is essential to control the wild elephants in the district,” he said while speaking to The Hindu.

According to him, the district administration would pay around ₹45 lakh compensation to the farmers as their crops got damaged due to the movements of the elephants, in the recent times. “In search of food, they are moving into fields during night time. We are trying to provide them with food with the support of donors so that their movement will be restricted, as food will be available near water sources,” he added.