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A tribal couple was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Aralam farm of Kannur, sparking protests by local residents.
The incident took place when Velli (80) and his wife Leela (72) both residents of Block 13 at Aralam farm, were attacked and killed by an elephant while they were collecting cashew nuts on their land, just 600m from the Rapid Response Team (RRT) office. Forest Minister A K Saseendran has sought a report from Kannur District Collector (DC) Arun K Vijayan on the incident, even as the UDF and BJP gave separate calls for a 'hartal' in Aralam panchayat today. Saseendran will visit the farm today afternoon and chair an all-party meeting at Aralam grama panchayat later in the day. The Emergency Disaster Management Committee chaired by the Kannur DC has decided to provide a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the victim's family, of which Rs 10 lakh will be given today. The forest department has allocated Rs 10 lakh per victim, with Rs 5 lakh each set to be released in the initial phase. The rising incidents of human-wildlife conflicts in the state have raised several concerns among people. Authorities have been working to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future. In a similar incident on January 27, a tiger that had been on the loose in Wayanad had been found dead in the forest area near Mananthavady. As per the Forest Department, the tiger had attacked and killed a woman identified as Radha in Pancharakoli which had led to widespread panic in the region. The Forest Department has assured that steps are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future, including enhanced monitoring and the deployment of rapid response teams. The department had previously declared the tiger a 'man-eater' and had implemented curfew measures in specific areas following the fatal attack. (ANI)
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