Thursday, 29 July 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Following three incidents of human-leopard conflict in the Garhwal region in the past week in which two children were killed, the principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force), Rajiv Bhartari has issued a set of instructions to the departmental officials concerned. He has stated that considering the probability of rise in human-leopard conflict during the monsoon, protective measures should be taken to prevent such incidents. All the divisional forest officers and directors are expected to observe sensitivity and ensure swift action in this regard.
Bhartari has directed that within 12 hours of any such incident, five officers including the conservator, chief wildlife warden and also the PCCF should be informed by phone or WhatsApp about it. The initial information should contain the time and place of the incident along with brief description of the condition related to the incident. A responsible officer of the forest division or protected area should visit the affected family for consolation. The divisional forest officer/sub divisional officer should try to understand the situations pertaining to the incident. Measures should also be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. Further, the ex-gratia or relief amount should be provided as per the rules within 15 days of the incident at the most. The PCCF further directed that quick response teams be posted in places where leopard activity is being seen or where attacks take place. At their level, the divisional forest officer/sub divisional officer should encourage the villagers to adopt measures for protection from wild animals.
