KL Report
SRINAGAR
People from several areas of valley Saturday complained about the increasing incidents of habitat trespass by wild animals who were found roaming into civilian areas.
Talking to a local news agency, KNS, residents of Bakura, Alestaing said that the wild animals have caused panic in the area due to which people are facing hardships in moving out of their homes. Locals further complained that the Bears, moving into the civilian area from forests, have injured three women in the recent past and one of them is in a critical ‘condition’.
Javed Ahmad, a local from Bakura told KNS that the wild life officials were several times informed about the presence of wild animals in the area but they did not pay any heed to the repeated requests from the local inhabitants. “We are facing tough times in presence of these wild animals here. We cannot allow our kids to move out of our homes and we are scared even to offer prayers at mosque at dawn.”
Another local, Ghulam Ahmad, said that the Bear, moving freely around, has injured three women and that authorities have turned ‘blind-eye’ towards their plight.
Residents of North Kashmir’s Handwara villiage, Giripora and Harnipora complained that the leopard recently has mauled 2 children and has injured others.
The infiltration of wild animals into the civilian areas has become the routine and people from many areas are raising the complains about the issue.
Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad when contacted said that the issue is getting serious after every day however, he said that the incidents of incursion of wild animals into civilian population have decreased from the month. He further mentioned that the people must take precautionary measures and should inform the forest squad after any reports of presence of wild animals in the area. “We have raised the relief for the persons, killed during these incidents from 1 lakh to 3 lakh rupees.”
Mian Altaf further mentioned that eight rescue vans have been approved for Jammu and Kashmir and that the department is working hard to tackle the issue. “We are utilizing all our resources so that the incidents could be avoided but people should take extra care during these days.”
