TTD steps up measures to curb human-animal conflict on Tirumala Hills

Tirumala: Measures such as deployment of additional forces to more advanced infrastructure, such as bio-fence and camera traps, were discussed in a review meeting on human-animal conflict, held at Gokulam Conference Hall on Tuesday.

The meeting was about the increased movements of wild cats along footpaths, ghat roads on Tirumala Hills in recent times, especially following a leopard being spotted on Tirumala Ghat Road.

TTD EO J Syamala Rao, along with the additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary and TTD Forest, State Forest and other stakeholders, held a detailed meeting on how to tackle the issue with short-term and long-term plans and also on the overall management of ‘Manimal Plan’ in TTD.

The excerpts from the meeting:

1. To deploy additional forces and ensure timely garbage management along the Alipiri Footpath route.

2. To take up a joint drive all along the footpath route with the officials from Forest, Revenue and Panchayat Raj, Health and Vigilance departments of TTD, with the support of Forest department officials in a regular manner.

3. The Wildlife Institute of India and the Forest Department to assist TTD in preparing short-term and long-term measures to overcome the human-animal conflict.

4. More measures, including camera traps, bio-fences, net-guns, high flash torches, smart sticks, pepper sprays and many more safety gadgets, ensuring Alipiri Footpath becomes a no-leopard zone.

5. To impose restrictions on shopkeepers, sensitising them not to sell prohibited eatables.

6. Focus more on surveillance from the Seventh Mile to the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple located in the 2.5km stretch area along the Alipiri Footpath route in the Down Ghat road.

7. Monthly coordination meeting on human-animal conflict with the officers concerned and the stakeholders and discuss the agendas with timelines.