Tension grips Kuppam-Tamil Nadu border villages after jumbos kill two
farmers
The Hindu
September 11, 2021
The movement of elephants along the border has created tension in the
Kuppam divison in the past.
An uneasy calm has gripped scores of villages along the Tamil Nadu-Kuppam
division border after two villagers were killed in an attack by wild
elephants in the Chintamakulapalle village of Krishnagiri district, 35km
from Kuppam on Friday. After the tragic incident, the wild elephants, said
to be more than 50 in number, split into two or three herds, and are
believed to be moving in the direction of Kuppam and Gudupalle mandals of
Chittoor district.
According to sources, the jumbo herds had moved into Krishnagiri from Hosur
division a couple of days ago. While on their way towards the Kuppam
border, the herds came across two farmers in a groundnut field, and
trampled them to death. The temporary strategies to drive away the
elephants by irate mobs resulted in the herds splitting into two or three
and this made their movements uncertain.
In the past, whenever elephants from Hosur created tension at the agrarian
front in Tamil Nadu, its impact had always been felt in the Kuppam
division. “During the last one decade, several wild elephants had moved
into Kuppam after striking the crops in Tamil Nadu villages. However, their
number used to be small, say three or five. Our forest officials also could
manage them without much effort. This time, our counterparts in Tamil Nadu
cautioned us that the wild elephants are marching towards Kuppam through
the Maharaja Kadai forests,” a vegetable farmer from Kuppam said.
Meanwhile, the forest officials of both Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu and
Kuppam range in Chittoor district have kept the forest watchers and
elephant trackers on alert, as the herds have been seen crossing the rural
roads.
Divisional Forest Officer (Chittoor West) S. Ravi Shankar said the elephant
trackers were deployed to monitor the situation along the border villages.
The farmers in Kuppam and Gudupalle mandals close to the Maharaja Kadai
forests were cautioned to abandon night vigils and the public at the forest
fringe areas were warned to not move alone, but in groups, besides
temporarily avoiding wearing of white robes.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/tension-grips-kuppam-tn-border-villages-after-jumbos-kill-two-farmers/article36398803.ece
Tension grips Kuppam-Tamil Nadu border villages after jumbos kill two
farmers
The Hindu
September 11, 2021
The movement of elephants along the border has created tension in the
Kuppam divison in the past.
An uneasy calm has gripped scores of villages along the Tamil Nadu-Kuppam
division border after two villagers were killed in an attack by wild
elephants in the Chintamakulapalle village of Krishnagiri district, 35km
from Kuppam on Friday. After the tragic incident, the wild elephants, said
to be more than 50 in number, split into two or three herds, and are
believed to be moving in the direction of Kuppam and Gudupalle mandals of
Chittoor district.
According to sources, the jumbo herds had moved into Krishnagiri from Hosur
division a couple of days ago. While on their way towards the Kuppam
border, the herds came across two farmers in a groundnut field, and
trampled them to death. The temporary strategies to drive away the
elephants by irate mobs resulted in the herds splitting into two or three
and this made their movements uncertain.
In the past, whenever elephants from Hosur created tension at the agrarian
front in Tamil Nadu, its impact had always been felt in the Kuppam
division. “During the last one decade, several wild elephants had moved
into Kuppam after striking the crops in Tamil Nadu villages. However, their
number used to be small, say three or five. Our forest officials also could
manage them without much effort. This time, our counterparts in Tamil Nadu
cautioned us that the wild elephants are marching towards Kuppam through
the Maharaja Kadai forests,” a vegetable farmer from Kuppam said.
Meanwhile, the forest officials of both Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu and
Kuppam range in Chittoor district have kept the forest watchers and
elephant trackers on alert, as the herds have been seen crossing the rural
roads.
Divisional Forest Officer (Chittoor West) S. Ravi Shankar said the elephant
trackers were deployed to monitor the situation along the border villages.
The farmers in Kuppam and Gudupalle mandals close to the Maharaja Kadai
forests were cautioned to abandon night vigils and the public at the forest
fringe areas were warned to not move alone, but in groups, besides
temporarily avoiding wearing of white robes.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/tension-grips-kuppam-tn-border-villages-after-jumbos-kill-two-farmers/article36398803.ece
