AP, Karnataka sign pact to protect forest cover

Vijayawada: For the first time in the history, the forest departments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on various issues.

Addressing the joint media meeting along with minister of forests of Karnataka Eswar B Khadre, Deputy Chief Minister and minister of panchayat raj, rural development, forests, ecology Pawan Kalyan said here on Friday that following representation by people of Chittoor district that elephants from Karnataka are damaging their properties, fields and even killing people, he went to Karnataka and held parleys with Chief Minister Siddha Ramaiah and others.

Subsequently, Karnataka minister of forests Eswar arrived along with additional chief secretary of forests Manjunath Prasad, principal chief conservator of forests of Karnataka Brijesh Kumar Deekshit, wild life conservator of Karnataka Subhash Mulke and held parleys with AP forest special chief secretary Anantaram, principal chief conservator of forests of AP Chiranjeevi Chowdary and AP Wild Life chief conservator A K Naik and finally the MoU was signed in the presence of the two ministers of both the states.

Later, addressing the media Pawan Kalyan said that the Karnataka government would send four Kunki elephants or trained elephants to tame the wild elephants that roam in the border districts.

Training would be given to the tribals and a special task force would be set up to check smuggling. It was also decided to promote ecotourism in both the states. He said that the elephant menace is existing in Parvathipuram Manyam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts also.

He said that while AP is suffering from the smuggling of red sanders, Karnataka is facing the problem of sandalwood smuggling. A special task force would be jointly set up to check smuggling activities.

Pawan said that there are 32 ecotourism parks in Karnataka and efforts would be made to set up such parks in Andhra Pradesh also.