Goa, Mah Govts to evolve joint strategy to check elephant menace

Panaji, Jul 2 (UNI) The Goa and Maharashtra government today decided to launch a joint strategy to drive wild elephants back into their natural habitat in neighbouring Karnataka.

They also agreed to seek the help of the Centre and, if necessary, international agencies for tranquilising the pachyderms and transporting them back to their natural environs in Karnataka.

Both the states agreed to evolve the strategy considering the herds of wild elephants were sneaking into the two states from Karnataka and causing damage to life and properties there. In Goa alone, the elephants had claimed the lives of four forest officers in the last five years.

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and later Forest Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues and former minister Pandurang Madkaikar called on Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at the latter's residence and discussed the issue.

They urged the people of Savantwadi region of Maharashtra to cooperate with the Goa's forest officials to chase the elephants back to Karnataka, thus avoiding the menace on either side, according to official sources.

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