The Forest department will prepare a comprehensive master plan to mitigate man-animal conflict in Wayanad district in two months, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has said.
Addressing an all-party meeting at Sulthan Bathery in the district on Monday, Mr. Saseendran said the master plan would be prepared only after consulting people’s representatives.
“The basic data and records for the master plan have been collected, and it will be drafted after considering various factors such as protection measures adopted in different areas to keep wildlife at bay, efficacy of such measures, and suitable steps to be adopted in different areas,” Mr. Saseendran said, adding that the Divisional Forest Officers of the three forest divisions in the district would hold discussions at the regional level for the purpose.
Major components such as strengthening rapid response teams, setting up Artificial Intelligence-driven equipment for monitoring the movements of wild animals and activities by the line departments will be included in the master plan, Mr. Saseendran said. He added that the government had perceived protests by the public at Cheeral positively.
Issues pertaining to wildlife in forest fringes of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka had no similarity with those in Kerala since human habitats near forests were relatively lesser in those States, Mr. Saseendran said. Hence, the measures adopted by those states could not be replicated here, he added.
“The demand of farmers to raise compensation for their loss in wildlife attacks are quite reasonable, and the Chief Minister has assured to look into it,” Mr. Saseendran said.
