Donate
Donate
Donate

Digital board to warn people of elephant movement (Hassan District, India)

Author(s)

The Hindu

Date Published

See link for photo.

A digital display board to inform the public about movement of elephants in the area has been set up at Ballupete in Sakaleshpur taluk. 

 
The board, installed by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) with the support of the Forest Department was inaugurated by H.K. Kumaraswamy, MLA for Sakaleshpur, in the presence of senior officials of the Forest Department, on Tuesday.

NCF has installed digital display boards and alarm lights to warn people about movement of elephants. Vinod Krishnan, a researcher at NCF, gets real-time information on elephant herds from villagers and puts it up on the display board.

The organisation installed the first board on the outskirts of Sakaleshpur, while the second one has come up at Ballupete. Punati Sridhar, PCCF (Wildlife), Manoj Kumar, Director (Project Elephant), and other officials were present.

Later, the senior officials held a meeting on elephant menace at Sakaleshpur. 

 
Addressing press persons, Mr. Sridhar said people have to live with the elephants as the relocation of elephants will not provide a permanent solution to the problem. “At present, around 45 elephants are said to be moving in Hassan. Even if we relocate all of them, the problem will not end as many new elephants will be reaching the place. Human beings and elephants have to coexist,” he said.

With the installation of digital display boards and alarm lights, the public will be given real-time information about movement of elephants. “In Tamil Nadu, a similar exercise has been going on for the last five years. 

 
With this, we can avoid man-animal conflict to an extent,” he said. During the meeting with the officials, the delay in providing compensation to farmers who suffered loss owing to elephant attacks was discussed. 

 
The field officials reportedly told the senior officials that they face angry people wherever they go as they have been waiting for the release of compensation. Mr. Sridhar said the dues will be released in a couple of days.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/digital-board-to-warn-people-of-elephant-movement/article19550452.ece