Wayanad:
Authorities in Kerala’s Wayanad imposed curfew in some areas of Mananthavady municipality on Sunday following a fatal tiger attack on a 47-year-old woman. The tiger has since been declared a man-eater and there are plans to kill it.
Earlier in the day, Forest Minister AK Saseendran announced the declaration of the tiger as a man-eater after a high-level meeting at the district collectorate.
According to an official release, the curfew applies to Division 1 (Pancharakolli), Division 2 (Pilakavu) and Division 36 (Chirakkara) for 48 hours from 6 am on January 27.
All schools, Anganwadis, madrassas and tuition centers in these divisions will remain closed.
Students living in the affected divisions who attend educational institutions elsewhere will be exempted from attending classes on January 27 and 28, the release said.
Those who are going to appear for PSC examination or examination in educational institutions should contact their Division Councilor to make necessary arrangements.
The decision comes in the wake of the tragic incident on Friday morning, where Radha, who hails from the Scheduled Caste community, was killed by a tiger while plucking coffee at Priyadarshini Estate in Mananthavady village.
Minister Saseendran said the move to declare the tiger a man-eater was taken after assessing its frequent attacks and the growing threat it poses to human life.
The same tiger that killed Radha also attacked Beat One Officer Jayasuriya, a member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) deployed for patrolling duty in the area on Sunday.
Saseendran said this is the first time in the state that a tiger has been declared a man-eater.
The decision was taken after a high-level meeting called on the instructions of the Chief Minister to address the growing problem of tiger attacks. Efforts are underway to capture the animal and a meeting was held with the Chief Secretary and other officials to address the concerns of the public.
He said the tiger was declared a man-eater after consultation with the Advocate General and other legal experts, a decision which was also supported by the Chief Minister.
In response to the threat posed by the tiger, steps have been taken to clear bushfires in the surrounding areas and surveillance in the area will be intensified. Minister Saseendran said that as part of enhanced wildlife management, 100 new cameras will be installed in Wayanad, and 400 AI cameras will be installed across the state by March 31 to strengthen surveillance and prevent wildlife-related attacks.
The minister also criticized the central government for its lack of support in addressing wildlife issues, and said even reaching out to him by phone seemed pointless. However, he assured that the Center will be kept apprised of the current situation.
During his visit to Radha’s house, Saseendran faced intense opposition from local residents, who stopped his vehicle, expressed anger and demanded to withdraw his statement that Radha was killed inside the forest. . Despite the protests, the minister, under police protection, managed to meet Radha’s family members and offered her son a temporary job.
Addressing the media after the visit, the minister assured that all necessary measures will be taken and urged the people to support the government’s efforts. He also promised to personally monitor the progress of these actions and announced that another meeting would be held on 29 January to further discuss the issue.
Later, Saseendran met forest officer Jayasuriya, who was injured in a tiger attack, in the hospital.
The tiger attack also sparked protests on Friday, with locals initially blocking the victim’s remains from being taken for postmortem until authorities assured them of measures to ensure public safety and not capture or kill the tiger. .
Minister OR Kelu assured the community that steps would be taken, following which he allowed Radha’s remains to be taken for postmortem.
Subsequently, the Forest Department issued an order to capture or kill the tiger, and prohibitory orders were imposed under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Defense Code (BNSS) to prevent public gatherings in four divisions of the Mananthavady municipality until the tiger is captured. Can go.
