Not chains but a bigger plan, says High Court

As years progressed, humans intruded into forest land with plain audacity and leveled big buildings and many constructions inside the wild abode. Still, we blare alarm bells when the same wild animals get into human habitat keeping a blind eye to our deed of intruding on their living harmony. The situation is running rife in most forest belts across Kerala, Idukki is a notable case. The issue can't be solved in one day, but some detailed planning and sincere attempts can surely see the needed escape from the long-running predicament.

The central and state governments are putting big lucre into such projects but all the money is going into drains with no sufficient alternative found. The forest officials get alarmed only when there occurs a murder that shooks the state. Hitherto the working of the officials ran on a stagnant note. Fences made mandatory to prevent the animals from running into human habitats are not even completed in many places. On all accounts, the government should ramp up works to preserve forest land and should also indulge in growing many forests near the border zones to help animals roam in their ideal space rather than pondering inside a different terrain.

On another note, the government won't succeed in shifting the people staying in colonies near forest lands. Any such move will surely gift a scuffle if not a riot. The Arikomban, the rogue elephant that has now taken the City of Chinakannal should not be tranquilized, said the High Court, which made many colony residents go irate with protests against the court decision. However, considering the grander scheme of things, one can't just apprehend or question the motive behind the High court move. If tranquilized or captured, the problems won't see curtains. Within a span of a few months, another rogue elephant will hit the town and kill some poor pedestrian. So the court has asked the authorities to deliberate on more options to end this predicament rather than indulging in short respites.

The court has formed a five-member expert panel to study the case. A report will soon reach the tables of the judges concerned. Arikomban is no tender soul. Over the years, the giant has destroyed more than 180 buildings and has attacked several ration shops. The Chinakannal resident has more reasons to worry since the rogue one has stomped its feet on more than 11 lives in the area over the years.