Munnar: Idukki District Collector Sheeba George has announced that prohibitory orders will be imposed in Santhanpara and Chinnakanal panchayats on March 26 for carrying out an operation to capture wild rogue tusker 'Arikomban'. Earlier, the operation was scheduled for March 25, Saturday, but the district authority decided to postpone it to Sunday in view of the Higher Secondary Examination.
The Collector said that the prohibitory orders will be imposed from 4 am on Sunday. The visitors’ arrival at the tourist centres in both panchayats will be strictly regulated.
Eleven teams, comprising 71 personnel including forest department officers, have been formed to capture Arikomban. The operation will start at 4 am on Saturday. The aim is to take this jumbo to Kodanad with the help of kumki elephants after tranquillizing it.
The Collector also urged the public, including local residents, to strictly follow the police instructions and not to enter the area to watch the tusker being captured.
Mock drill on March 24
The current plan is to lure Arikomban to Cement Palam and take it captive. A mock drill will be conducted on March 24 (Friday) prior to the mission. If the tusker is not caught on March 26, the operation will be continued the next day.
Traffic regulations will be imposed on all roads in the area including BL Ram and Power House. The Collector said that a decision on shifting the residents of 301 Colony will be taken during the meeting on Wednesday.
Two medical teams in two ambulances, police, motor vehicles department, fire force, and officers from other departments will be deployed in the region, the Collector added.
Forest conservator (high-range circle) R S Arun, sub-collector Rahul Krishna Sharma, DFO Ramesh Bishnoi, ACF Shantri Tom, wildlife warden S V Vinod, Devikulam ranger P V Vegi, and public representatives and officers from various departments took part in the meeting.
One more kumki elephant
The kumki elephant ‘Surya’, which is also part of the team, left for Chinnakanal from the elephant camp at Muthanga in Wayanad on Tuesday evening. The elephant will reach Chinnakanal on Wednesday. Two more elephants will be brought in before March 24. The kumki elephant 'Vikram' has already reached Chinnakanal.
Arikomban attacks 2 houses
Rajakumari: Even as the forest department is making elaborate arrangements to capture the rogue tusker, Arikomban attacked 2 houses on Monday night.
The elephant damaged a portion of the house of Bison Valley native Vijayan at Periyakanal, and another nearby house. Earlier too, Vijayan's house had come under attack. During the attack last week, Arikomban knocked down the door and wall of the house and ate 20 kg of rice. The tusker was back again around 10 pm on Monday and caused damage to the building but did not get any food items. Plantation worker Vijayan and his wife Lakshmi were in the house during this time but managed to escape.
The tusker then went to the nearby plot of Asharaf, and damaged a house occupied by plantation worker Peter. Fearing wild animal attacks, Peter spends the night in a nearby tree house. Arikomban was in the vicinity of these houses till 3 am, the residents said.
