Chhattisgarh plans elephant reserve

Chhattisgarh government will study how the other states are coping with tuskers before chalking out a comprehensive plan to check the menace.

The state government is planning to develop an elephant reserve to deal with the tusker menace in the state, particularly in the northern part.

A delegation of forest officials will visit the affected states to note what measures are being taken to check the menace, forest minister Vikram Usendi said. The minister will lead the delegation.

The team will study the geographical situation and the living condition of people in the reserve areas.

After a comprehensive study, the government will proceed with the plan to develop an elephant reserve in the state, Usendi said.

The proposal of elephant reserve has been pending for the past four years, despite the menace assuming alarming proportions.

According to forest department records, about 100 villagers have been killed so far.

The state government has recently increased the compensation paid to the family members of those killed by wild elephants. The amount has been increased from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.