Karnataka   

Forest Cell’s four-day operation concludes

Kalkere (Bandipur National Park): Karnataka State Police Forest Cell personnel on Friday completed a four-day exercise in parts of Bandipur National Park bordering Kerala to prevent poaching during the Onam festival season. This was the fourth such exercise in August.

The four-day operation was conducted in Gundre, Banurgadde, Mavinahalla, Halsurgadde and Kalkere, which are among the sensitive pockets in the national park where animals are susceptible to poaching. Animals are killed to meet the demand for meat during the festival. These areas are among the porous parts in the interiors of the park, which are located more than 100 km away from Mysore.

The operation was conducted by 58 members of the cell, including Inspector-General K.S.N. Chikkerur and Superintendent of Police S.D. Jawaharlal. Select personnel from Mangalore, Madikeri, Chamarajanagar, Puttur, Somwarpet, Virajpet, Kollegal, Mysore and from the headquarters in Bangalore were involved. It was conducted in coordination with local forest guards and watchers.

More number of personnel were deployed in Banurgadde and Gudre where people can walk across from the national park to Sashimalai, Manampalli and Marakadavu in Kerala. Large numbers of wild animals, including bison, elephant and blackbuck, congregate in the open water bodies there.

“The topography of the water body makes its easy for poachers,” Mr. Chikkerur said and added that some of the suspects from Kerala had created havoc in these parts. The Forest Cell has been regularly conducting operations in these areas. Apart from patrolling the areas, the personnel are involved in collection of information about the suspects, he said.

The guesthouse in Kalkere formed the base for the four-day operation conducted in the areas, which are largely inaccessible for tourists.

The wireless system of the cell and that of the Forest Department was used for communication. Incessant rainfall in the areas made movement difficult.

The personnel were housed in the anti-poaching camps set up by the Forest Department in Gundre, Banurgadde, Mavinahalla and Halsurgadde.

The forest guards and watchers seemed happy to be involved in the operation. “Having the police on our side gives us more strength to face the poachers. Moreover, we relish the family atmosphere they (policemen) bring in during their stay,” said an elderly forest watcher, Puttaswamy.

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