Kerala to form vigilant committees to check wild animal menace

With increase in attacks by wild animals on farmers in the forest fringe areas of the state, Kerala government has planned to constitute Vigilant committees at panchayat levels to check this menace, State Minister for Forest K Raju informed the assembly today.
In a reply during question hour, Raju said solar fence, anti-elephant trenches, protection wall and fencingwere some of the measures to be adopted by the government to prevent wild animals from straying into human settlements.
He also said that the order issued by the government in 2013 for killing wild boars expired early this year. The LDF government would re-issue the order with relaxation in the condition for killing wild boars that attack farmers.

Efforts are also on to set up rain water harvesting pools inside the forest to ensure that wild animals do not come out of the forest, he said.
However, to a question, he said government has not thought of sterilisation of monkeys to reduce its population.
"But effort would be made to catch and release the 'team leader of monkey groups' in deep forest, with the help of tribals, who can identify them." he said.

An SMS alert system has also been put in place in Waynad forest area to alert local people whenever wild animals stray into human settlements, he said adding this would be extended to other places if found successful.

State Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan informed the house that the LDF government's liquor policy was not total prohibition but "liquor abstinence".
Government is planing to change the present liquor policy, he said during the question hour.