CM leads critical meeting on wildlife conflict in Wayanad; Dr Arun Zachariah to join Op Belur Makhna

Wayanad: A special review meeting on human-animal conflict was held in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presided over the meeting, which was attended by forest minister AK Saseendran, several MLAs and officials from forest, revenue, police and district administration.

The assembly, convened amid a series of wildlife-related incidents and the forest department's inability to manage the situation, especially the ongoing 'Operation Belur Makhna', led to a set of decisive measures. 

One key decision taken was the strengthening of the Command and Control Centre in Wayanad with experienced officers who will also be integrated into an emergency war room setup, reads the press statement issued after the meeting.

The state government has also responded to calls to reinstate wildlife veterinarian Dr Arun Zachariah to assist with the efforts in Operation Belur Makhna. Having completed his deputation in the Animal Husbandry department, Dr Arun will join the mission with the forest department from Friday.

The meeting also cleared the forest department's proposal to purchase drones as well as wireless communication devices for tracking and surveillance of wild animals.

Furthermore, a dedicated team is to be trained to monitor wildlife along interstate boundaries, and a high-ranking Chief Forest Conservator will be appointed for oversight in Wayanad. The interstate coordination will see forest nodal officers from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala meeting regularly. 

Additionally, CM has directed the local District Collector to manage vegetation growth adjacent to plantations, with labour potentially provided by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme on an urgent basis. Existing fences and trenches along the forest borders will also be repaired immediately. A local monitoring committee with ward members of each local body should be formed to monitor the repairing and strengthening works.

The CM also stated that, for instances of wild animals entering residential areas, the district collector could use special magistrate powers to prioritize human safety. 

The state government has also sanctioned Rs 11.5 crore for compensation to victims of wildlife attacks, with discussions underway to potentially reimburse those who sought treatment at private hospitals.