Bhopal, Nov 4
The Madhya Pradesh government has announced an increase in the compensation amount for families of those killed in wild animal attacks from INR 8 lakh to INR 25 lakh.
The state government made this announcement after the death of two people in elephant attacks in two separate incidents in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Umaria district.
The tragic incident occurred days after 10 wild elephants died within the core area of BTR, prompting the state and Central governments to order an inquiry into the matter.
The first attack was reported in Devra village, about 10 kilometers away from BTR, where Ramratan Yadav (50) was crushed to death early on Saturday.
The second incident was reported in Brahe village in the buffer zone of BTR, where a 35-year-old Bhairav Kol was killed by elephants. The injured person has been identified as Malu Sahu (32) in Banka village, located just outside the BTR.
Following the back-to-back deaths of 10 elephants and then the deaths of two persons in BTR, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took stock of the situation.
Yadav chaired a high-level meeting with forest officials and the state wildlife board, issuing instructions and ordering an independent inquiry into the matter.
During the review meeting, CM Mohan Yadav also ordered the suspension of two senior officials of BTR for lapses after a high-level probe team submitted its reports regarding the deaths of the 10 elephants.
Additionally, the state government has decided to form an elephant task force to safely accommodate them. "We will come up with a long-term plan comprising the best practices of other states, including Karnataka, Kerala, and Assam that have large elephant populations. We are going to send our officers to these states," CM Yadav said.