Mitigating human-animal conflict: Nodal Officers for nine districts

Saswati Mishra is Nodal Officer for Mysuru district

Mysore/Mysuru: Amid growing concerns over the escalating human-animal conflict in the State and in a bid to bolster a plan incorporating innovative technology to tackle the issue, the State Government has announced the appointment of Nodal Officers tasked with mitigating conflicts in nine districts.

Senior IFS Officers have been designated as Nodal Officers for Kolar, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Hassan, Chikkamagalur, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts. 

Saswati Mishra will serve as the Nodal Officer for Mysuru district, Bishwajit Mishra for Chamarajanagar, Brijesh Kumar for Kodagu, V. Geethanjali for Kolar, Smita Bijjur for Tumakuru, Vanashri Vipin Singh for Bengaluru Rural, Anil Kumar Rathan for Ramanagara, Kumar Pushkar for Hassan and Vijay Mohan Raj has been appointed as the Nodal Officer for Chikkamagalur.

In response to the prevailing situation, officials have recommended convening a review meeting on human-wildlife conflict within the specified districts, emphasising the need to address and resolve various pending compensation cases at the district level. Consequently, the Nodal Officers have been instructed to visit their respective districts thrice a week and take proactive measures to expedite compensations in cases involving the loss of human life and livestock.

The Nodal Officers are expected to collaborate with the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to effectively manage the human-animal conflict, reporting their activities to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. Additionally, they are tasked with devising a comprehensive plan to prevent wildlife from straying into residential areas located in close proximity to forests.

Furthermore, the Government has issued an order for the establishment of a dedicated Leopard Task Force for Bengaluru city. This decision comes in response to recurrent leopard sightings in residential areas such as Kaggalipura, Anekal, Hoskote, K.R. Puram and Yelahanka. This Task Force is mandated to collaborate with Forest Department officials and utilise existing Department resources to address the emerging challenges.