Action plan to check Monsoon poaching in south

Kalpetta, July 8: Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have jointly prepared an action plan to check poaching in Nilgiri Biosphere during the monsoon season.

As part of this action plan, a joint meeting of forest departments of these states was held on Muthanga of Wayanad this week.

The monsoon rain was favourable to the hunters and forest thieves and as a first step, the functions of all camp sheds had been intensified, said Deepak Mishra, Wild Life Warden of Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary here.

Wayanad wild life Sanctuary of Kerala, Muthumala, Bandupur and Nagarholla of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu would come under the action plan, where preventive steps were on full swing.

The Karnataka Government had deployed Forest-Police Security Services in Gundara of Beggur Forest range which was nearest to Wayanad wildlife sanctuary. Gundara, Division was also declared as strictly restricted place to visitors.

The Karnataka Forest Department would establish check posts at Vandikkadavu on Kerala border and also begin more anti-poaching camps and constitute Weaponed Lightning Squad(WLS) under the control of forest IG, Chikroor.

The meeting also decided to appoint more guards at check posts and install cameras in certain places inside the forest to trace the poachers.

UNI